


Anakin's Sister

by charis_nikola, writer_rach



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Cross-Posted on Wattpad, F/M, Fanfiction, Friendship, Love, Original Character(s), Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-28
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:27:08
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 42
Words: 126,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21589099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/charis_nikola/pseuds/charis_nikola, https://archiveofourown.org/users/writer_rach/pseuds/writer_rach
Summary: "Ask," she said."No, no, it's alright," Obi-Wan said, startled at her abruptness."I won't offer an answer again," Alana replied. Obi-Wan hesitated before speaking again."Why did you leave the Order?"Alana has spent much of her life running from her destiny. She ran from the Jedi Order, from her family, and now she must make a choice. Does she run away from her feelings? Or does she rise above and become a great Jedi in the face of all odds?
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Original Character(s), Obi-Wan Kenobi & Original Female Character(s), Obi-Wan Kenobi/Original Female Character(s), Padmé Amidala/Anakin Skywalker
Comments: 73
Kudos: 191





	1. Tatooine

"Alana! Come on! If you don't get up soon, we'll be late!" A young boyish voice brought Alana Skywalker out of deep sleep.

Alana opened her eyes to a dark room, but she could feel the presence of her little brother right over her. She sighed and sat up, stretching from the short time that she had spent in bed. It never seemed to be enough.

"Alright, Ani, settle down now. We don't want to wake Mother from her sleep," Alana said quietly, her eyes finally adjusting to the room around her. It was a tiny makeshift bedroom shared between her and her brother.

"Alright, can I go get some food, then?" he asked.

"Yes, I'll be in the kitchen in a moment," Alana replied, grabbing her shirt and skirt and beginning to fix herself up for work. She tied her hair back into a braid, with a scarf tied around her head in a headband and into the braid itself.

She was looking down at her hands when she caught a glimpse of her reflection in a small metal cup on the floor. She picked it up and looked at herself, examining the bags under her eyes and her face. After a moment deep in thought, she heard a clatter from the kitchen and she raced in to see what mess Anakin was getting himself into when she found him, his hand outstretched and a bowl full of grits on the floor.

"Anakin Skywalker!" Alana whisper-shouted. "What were you doing?" She hissed, kneeling to help him clean up the mess.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to! I was just trying to do that thing that you do," he said, frowning. 

Alana sighed. "Oh, Ani, I did it once and now you've wasted your breakfast." 

When Anakin realized this meant he wouldn't get his breakfast for the morning, his eyes began to tear up, even though he was trying desperately to hold them back.

Alana stood from cleaning up his spilled breakfast and looked down at the bowl of grits he had made for Alana. She looked to and from her food and Anakin before sighing.

"You can have mine, Ani," she said. "Just please, stop with the little tricks. That kind of power is not to be taken lightly."

"Yes, Alana," Anakin said before swiping the bowl off the counter and beginning to eat. Just as he had eaten the first mouthful, a rustling came from another room that signaled that they had woken their mother.

Alana looked over just in time to see Shmi walking into the room, her face tired and worn from stress, but she still managed to put a smile on when she saw her children in the kitchen together.

"Sorry to wake you, Mom," Alana said, leaning up against the counter while Anakin scarfed down the last of his breakfast.

"No worries, my dear," Shmi Skywalker said, patting her daughter on the back. She circled around and planted a kiss on both her children's foreheads before stepping back and looking outside as the light began to creep in through the windows. 

"Be safe today, and look out for one another, alright?"

"We will," Anakin and Alana said at the same time.

"You too, Mom," Anakin said.

"We should get going. We'll see you later today," Alana said, standing with Anakin. Shmi nodded and smiled at her two children and waved goodbye as they made their way out of the small slave house they lived in.

As Alana left, with Anakin racing along ahead of her, she waved to some of the neighbor slaves who were also on their way to their work. She sighed when she saw her brother racing out of her sight.

"Ani! Slow down!" She called, before sighing and giving up. The 9-year old boy was more than capable of taking care of himself. In fact, they both were. At nearly twenty years old, Alana had experience dealing with the people of Tatooine. Part of the way to Watto's shop, Alana dipped into an establishment and picked up a heavy satchel to deliver to her master. She exchanged a few crude words with the owner before departing in haste.

After her fifteen-minute walk to Watto's junk shop, Alana entered just as the sun began to peek over the horizon.

"Watto!" She called.

"You're late!" Watto's voice called back. "Your brother got here five minutes ago," he said, fluttering in from one of the corridors in his shop.

"Yes, well, I have something I think will make it up to you," Alana said, taking her bag off of her back and setting it on the counter in front of herself. She gave it a light shove and it spilled open, with a hoard of peggats spilling out.

"Those are from last week," Alana said. "And I'll have more for you tomorrow."

Watto looked at the money greedily and laughed, his disgusting breath nearly knocking Alana off of her feet.

"See, see, this is why you are my favorite worker," he said, petting the coins on the table. He took a second look before wrinkling his face and looking back at her. "You took some of the money!"

"No, Watto, they just didn't pay me what I was owed. I'll get it all tonight, and then some," Alana said, biting the inside of her cheeks to keep from telling him the truth.

Watto wrinkled his nose and scooped the money back into the bag and threw it back at her.

"Put it away and begin your work, woman," he said before flying off to the other room.

Alana sighed and sat back behind the counter, beginning to go through cataloging the new materials that they had managed to get from the previous week.

For hours she worked, with Anakin running about fixing up some of the droids and various other things that Watto had assigned him to do. Sometimes, Anakin would drag the droids over to the front counter so that he could work beside his sister and talk. Other times, he would work quietly by himself, humming or whispering.

Watto came to inspect their progress on occasion, and on occasion to help a customer. Alana would also come and speak with the customers if there were ever more than one.

Alana was in the middle of carrying one of the heavier parts to a droid ship when her instincts told her to stop, as someone was approaching them. She almost immediately dropped what she was doing, and turned towards the entrance.

At that moment, Alana saw three people and a droid enter the shop. It was the man that drew her attention, and she clenched her jaw. The fact that she could sense him, meant he could certainly sense her.

"Hello?" The man called.

"Hello, sir," Alana said, stepping out from the corner of the shop, where she had been frozen for a few seconds. "What can I help you with?" She asked.

The man examined her for a second, his eyes seeming to pierce her skin when suddenly Watto appeared from the back.

"Get back to work, woman, I will speak with this gentleman," Watto said in Huttese.

Alana nodded and backed away from the man. She saw that beside him was a girl, perhaps his daughter, a droid, and a Gungan, the likes of which Alana had not seen in a very long time.

"Don't touch anything, Jar-Jar," the man called before disappearing outback for his parts.

"Meesa no touching nothing," the Gungan replied. 

Alana retreated back behind the counter, keeping her eyes open on the people and the droid in the shop.

\---------------------------------------------------------

Shortly after the man and his company left, Alana and Anakin were sent home due to the impending sandstorm. Alana walked quickly, holding her brother's hand this time when they rounded the corner to see Jar-Jar in a fight with none other than Sebulba, the nastiest of all Dugs in Tatooine.

Anakin let go of Alana's hand and raced over to help the Gungan, despite her protests.

"Careful, Sebulba. He's a bigtime outlander. I'd hate to see you diced before we race again," Anakin said, when Alana finally reached him, placing her hands protectively on her brother's shoulders, pulling him back a bit.

"Next time we race, boy, it will be the end of you," Sebulba said. "If you weren't a slave, I'd squash you right now," he continued before looking up to Alana and smiling. "And don't forget child, I'll be seeing your sister tonight."

Anakin looked up at his sister, a frown on his face.

"What is he talking about, Lanie?" Anakin asked quietly, using his sister's nickname.

"Never you mind that, Ani," Alana responded before looking up at the man from the shop.

"Hello," he said.

"Your friend was about to be turned into orange goo," Anakin stated, causing Alana to roll her eyes.

"That's Sebulba," Alana said, hushing her brother. "One of the most dangerous Dugs on the planet."

Jar Jar was helped to his feet by the man. He seemed about to speak when Jar Jar interrupted.

"Mesa haten crunchen. Das da las ting mesa want," he seemed to be protesting the fact that he had been fighting with Sebulba.

"Nevertheless, you were heading into trouble," the man said. "Thank you both."

"Of course," Alana said. The group walked a bit, all seeming to head in the same direction towards the outskirts of town. When Anakin and Alana stopped at Jira's pallie stand to purchase a few fruits for themselves, and Anakin used a bit of spare change to buy one for the man.

"Here, you'll like these," Anakin said, handing one to the man. The man thanked him and placed it into his belt.

"Oh, Lanie, my bones are aching. Storm's coming up. You two better get home quick," Jira said.

Alana nodded and thanked the old woman before taking her brother's hand in hers and turning to go. She looked over at their stray people and sighed.

"Do you have a place to go?" She asked.

"We'll head back to our ship," the young girl, Padme, said.

"Is it far?" Anakin asked.

"It's on the outskirts," Padme responded.

"You'll never reach it in time," Alana said. "Come, I'm sure my mother will not mind guests as the storm passes."

"Sandstorms are very, very dangerous," Anakin reminded them. 

Alana smiled and took her brother's hand as the wind began to blow even more. They made their way quickly towards their place, arriving just barely before the storm began to pick up.

As they entered the house, Anakin immediately scampered in, calling Shmi.

"Mom! Mom! Lanie and I are home!" He called. Shmi came in from the kitchen, her eyes glancing at all the people who had suddenly appeared.

"Mom, these are our friends!" Anakin said before turning to Padme and pulling her away to go look at the droid he was building.

Alana watched as her brother ran off, shaking her head.

"I'm Qui-Gon Jinn. Your daughter was kind enough to offer us shelter," the man said.

Alana mentally noted his name in her head.

"They would not have made it to their ship in time," she spoke up, approaching her mother, who pulled her into a hug.

"Of course," Shmi said. "Come in, please. I was just about to begin cooking dinner."

Alana and Qui-Gon watched as Shmi disappeared back into the kitchen.

"Do you need any help, Mom?" Alana called.

"No, you sit down and entertain our guests," Shmi said from the kitchen.

Alana nodded and motioned for Qui-Gon to sit. Jar Jar sat beside him, and soon silence filled the air. Padme and Anakin were in the spare room where Anakin was making a new protocol droid for Shmi, and the R2 unit was with them.

Qui-Gon appeared to be studying Alana, and she shifted in her seat, unwilling to meet his gaze with her own. Before he could say something, a communication device beeped to let him know someone was attempting to contact him.

"If you'll excuse me," he said, standing and going into the hallway that led to the bedrooms.

"Mesa go help yousa mother," Jar Jar said, standing and entering the kitchen.

Alana sat there for a moment before Qui-Gon entered the room again.

"You're a Jedi," Alana finally spoke, as he began to sit. He hesitated for just a split second before sitting down.

"As are you," Qui-Gon said, looking up at her face, studying her reaction, her every emotion. He had felt her tension and confusion the moment that she had realized he was a Jedi.

Alana pursed her lips and looked back at the room where Anakin was.

"As I was," she corrected him. "I didn't complete my training," she said quietly. 

"I had heard of you before. Alana Skywalker," he said. "You trained under Master Windu."

"For a short time, yes, but that time has passed now, and I would rather us not speak anymore of it," Alana replied when suddenly Anakin reappeared in the room with Padme.

"Dinnertime!" Shmi said, calling everyone into the kitchen.

"Come," Alana said, standing abruptly and taking Anakin's hand.

As they sat down for dinner, Padme began to ask questions about the lives that the slaves were leading.

"All slaves have a transmitter located somewhere in their body," Shmi said.

"I've been building a scanner to try and locate mine," Anakin said proudly.

"Any attempt to escape-" Shmi began, pouring water for Padme.

"And they BLOW YOU UP!" Anakin said excitedly. "Boom!"

"I can't believe there's still slavery in the galaxy," Padme said.

"Neither can I," Alana mumbled.

"The Republic' antislavery laws-"

"The Republic doesn't exist out here," Alana interrupted. "We survive on our own."

Padme quieted down and sighed, clearly deep in thought. Anakin looked around before speaking.

"Has anyone seen a Podrace before?" He asked.

"They had Podracing on Malastare. Very fast, very dangerous," Qui-Gon said.

"Alana and I are the only humans who can do it," Anakin said.

"Ani, hush," Alana said

"You must have Jedi reflexes if you race pods," Qui-Gon said, noting the quick glance that Alana and Shmi exchanged at his mention of the Jedi.

"You're a Jedi Knight, aren't you?" Anakin said, looking to Qui-Gon.

"What makes you think that?" He asked.

"I saw your laser sword. Only Jedis carry that kind of weapon," Anakin said.

"Perhaps I killed a Jedi and took it from him," Qui-Gon replied, trying to change the conversation.

"I don't think so. No one can kill a Jedi," Anakin said, matter-of-a-factly.

"I wish that were so," Qui-Gon replied.

"Did you know that Alana is a Jedi?" Anakin said, looking at his sister, who paled.

"Yes, I did," Qui-Gon said. "Does she tell you stories?" He asked, looking more to Alana than to Anakin himself.

"Yes! I love her stories, especially the one where her and her Master got to-"

"Anakin, that's enough," Alana interrupted. "You know I am no longer a Jedi. I was only ever being trained, and I left seven years ago to come here."

They all sat in silence for a moment before Anakin spoke up again.

"I had a dream I was a Jedi. And I came back here and freed all the slaves," Anakin said. "Are you here to free us?"

"No, I'm afraid not," Qui-Gon said. 

"I think you have. Why else would you be here?"

Qui-Gon looked to Shmi before leaning forward and speaking again.

"I can see there's no fooling you, Anakin," he said. "We're on our way to Coruscant, the central system in the Republic, on a very important mission."

"How did you end up out here in the outer rim?" Anakin asked.

"Our ship was damaged and we're stranded here until we can repair it," Padme spoke up.

"We can help you, so that you may be on your way. Anakin and I can fix almost anything," Alana said.

"I believe you can," Qui-Gon said. "But first we must acquire the parts we need. Unfortunately, we do not have the right money to trade."

"These junk dealers must have a weakness of some kind," Padme said.

"Gambling," Shmi said. "Everything here revolves around betting on those awful races."

"Podracing. Greed can be a powerful ally," Qui-Gon said.

"Alana and I built a racer for me. It's the fastest ever," Anakin said. "There's a big race tomorrow on Boonta Eve. You could enter my pod."

"I thought you said you weren't going to continue that, Lanie!" Shmi exclaimed, looking over at Alana. "You're not supposed to encourage him! And, Anakin, Watto won't let you."

"Watto doesn't know we've built it," Alana said. 

"And Qui-Gon could make him think it's his and get Watto to let me pilot it!" Anakin exclaimed.

"I don't either of you to race. It's awful. I die every time Watto makes you do it."

"The prize money would be more than pay for the parts they need," Anakin said.

"Anakin," Shmi said, sending a sharp glance in both of her children's directions.

"Is there anyone friendly to the Republic who can help us?" Qui-Gon asked.

"No," Shmi said quietly.

"Mom, you say the biggest problem in this universe is nobody helps each other," Anakin said.

Shmi seemed to lose her resolve, realizing that this was true.

"I'm sure Qui-Gon doesn't want to put your son in danger," Padme said quietly. "We'll find some other way."

"No," Shmi said. "There is no other way. I may not like it, but he can help you. These two were meant to help you."


	2. The Fight

As Anakin went back to the shop to get Watto's approval, Alana went to work on the speeder. She was there for a while when suddenly, she felt her mother's presence behind her.

"Alana, we must talk," Shmi said.

Alana looked up from her work and sighed. She rolled out from under the speeder and stood, wiping the grease and sand from her hands onto her pants.

"You have to go back with him," Shmi said quietly.

"Mom, I won't leave you and Ani. I can't," Alana said quickly.

"If you tell the Jedi council what has happened," Shmi trailed off.

"I'm happy here," Alana said. "I'm happy with my family, and I'm not leaving."

"But the things you do, Lanie. I want you to stop. The night shift, the work, I want you to stop it all. I'm so terrified each night that you're gone. Promise me you'll stop," Shmi said.

Alana looked down at her hands and bit her lip.

"I'm going tonight," she said quietly. "I wasn't going to tell you."

"No, Alana. Each time you come back you're hurt and-" Shmi paused. I'm afraid of what they'll do to you if-"

"I'm fine, Mom. I'm always fine," Alana interrupted.

"Do you even listen to me, Lanie? You're a free woman. You don't have to stay here. You have your powers, you have your freedom, and yet you're here. And for what?"

"Of course I listen, Mom," Alana replied, crossing her arms across her chest. "I listen to you, but I am here because it's the only way I can protect you. It's the only way I can protect Anakin. I didn't want them to find him. I came back so that the Jedi would never reach him as they did me. I work at night so that Anakin can learn. So that we have things other than a simple slavers life. I do everything for you two, because I wasn't able to when I was gone. And I'm not leaving again. You remember what happened when I left last time, and I won't let it happen again," Alana said before storming off.

"Lanie-" Shmi called. She watched her daughter storm off just as Anakin, Qui-Gon, and the others returned.

"What's wrong with Alana?" Anakin asked, looking up to his mother.

"Never you mind," Shmi said, ruffling his head and pulling him in for a hug.

Alana went to her room and breathed, her mind flashing back to a time long ago.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Lanie! Peek-a-boo!" Shmi's voice floated to Alana.

Alana's giggle permeated the air, causing Shmi to laugh.

"Happy birthday, darling," another voice came.

"Papa!" Alana called, reaching her arms up to her father. The three of them were celebrating Alana's fourth birthday. They had just gotten a small farm on the planet of Naboo.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door.

"Of course people come right when we are trying to celebrate," Alana's father, Ophrion, said.

The three of them went to the door. Alana out from behind her mother's legs as the door opened, and a man and a small green creature, both dressed in brown robes and tan tunics were standing in front of them. Alana smiled at the funny-looking green man.

"Can we help you?" Shmi asked.

"Ah yes, is this the residence of Alana Skywalker?" The man asked.

Alana's parents looked at each other in hesitation. 

"Afraid, you must not be," the green creature said. "From the Jedi Order, we are. Jedi Master Yoda and Windu."

"We knew you would come. We just didn't know it would be this soon," Ophrion said.

Suddenly Alana came out from behind Shmi's legs and went to where the green man was and giggled, touching his ears.

"Lanie!" Shmi exclaimed, snatching her back. "I'm sorry. Please, come in."

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A chirping sound brought Alana back to the present. Alana looked to see the little R2 unit beside her.

"What do you want?" Alana asked.

It chirped at her again.

"Sand? Where?"

The little droid responded and Alana sighed.

"Come on, then, let's get you cleaned up little guy," she said, standing and grabbing a towel and a few tools. She knelt back down in front of the droid and began to get him all fixed up. Outside, she heard Anakin starting the racer and she smiled to herself. He would win the race.

Later that night, once Alana had finished cleaning up the R2 unit, she began to ready herself for her night job. She cleaned herself up and grabbed her things. She heard talking outside, and she saw Anakin sitting on the balcony with Qui-Gon. She sighed when she heard her mother calling for Anakin.

"Ani, bedtime! I'm not going to tell you again!" Shmi called. 

Anakin raced towards the door, almost knocking Alana back.

"Wait, Ani, I'm going out tonight. Give me a hug, yeah?" Alana asked.

Anakin frowned and looked up at his sister.

"Why?" He asked. "Didn't you go out last week?"

"It doesn't matter, Ani. Sleep well, okay? And have a great race tomorrow," Alana said as she picked up her brother and pulled him into a close hug.

"Ok. I will," Anakin replied, wrapping his arms around Alana's neck and squeezing. After a couple of moments, they finally let go and Alana put him down.

"Night, Ani!" Alana said as he raced away.

Shmi walked towards her and pulled her daughter in close and placing a kiss on her forehead.

"Be careful, Lanie, please," she whispered.

"Always, Mom," Alana responded before turning and heading out of the door.

After Anakin was put to bed, Qui-Gon came into the house, as he had seen their earlier interaction.

"Where has she gone?" He asked Shmi as they sat at the table. The others had already returned to the ship, but he had chosen to stay until the family had gone to sleep.

Shmi sighed and looked down at her hands.

"Whenever there is a large gathering of the Hutts, they have nighttime entertainment, and she-" Shmi trailed off. "She participates. They have two slaves fight each other. The slaves get entered on their master's behalf, and if they win, the master gets the money. Even though she is not a slave, she lets Watto enter her into the contest, and she gets to keep half of the earnings."

"Has she ever lost?" Qui-Gon asked.

Shmi shook her head.

"If a woman enters the contest and loses, the Hutts keep her for themselves," she shuddered at the thought.

Qui-Gon pursed his lips in silence.

"Thank you for telling me," he said quietly. "I trust that she can hold her own."

"I hope so," Shmi said.

They sat there in silence for a few moments before finally, Qui-Gon spoke.

"I must return to my ship. If you need anything, anything at all, I will return," he said, standing.

"Of course," Shmi said, leading him out of the house and giving a half-hearted smile as the man disappeared around the corner, heading for the ship.

As soon as Qui-Gon was far enough away as to not be heard, he radioed Obi-Wan.

"Obi-Wan," he said.

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan replied, his voice crackling through the coms.

"Have you well-rested?" He asked.

"Yes, Master. Why?"

"I want you to come into the city and find out where the Hutts are hosting tonights' fight. And I want you to keep your eye on a woman named Alana Skywalker. If she gets too injured, get her out of there," he paused. "Be very discreet."

"Yes, Master. Should I wait for your return?"

"No, go at once. I will be back at the ship in a few minutes," he said.

"Yes, Master."

"May the Force be with you," Qui-Gon said.

\--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alana landed another punch, completely knocking out her first opponent. The Twi'lek woman was passed out cold in front of her, and she watched the reaction of the ring around her as the Twi'lek was dragged from the fighting circle.

Alana hated fighting women, as she knew what their fate would be if she won. And she had to win.

"I see she presented no challenge to you, woman," Jabba the Hutt spoke in Huttese, his voice full of laughter. "Bring in the next one."

Alana wiped a bead of sweat from her forehead. The Twi'lek hadn't even gotten a chance to touch her. One down, three to go.

She watched as a failed bounty hunter, a Rodian, was forced into the ring.

She recognized the Rodian, but she knew him to be cruel, and she hardly minded that his fate would be slavery, just as her mother's and brother's fate was.

As she stood, ready to fight, little did she know that someone else was currently searching for her.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Obi-Wan walked quietly through the streets of the Tattooine spaceport. Qui-Gon's request had been odd, but once he had reached the town, he could feel a presence there. He wasn't sure if it was the boy or this Alana, but he knew that it was strong.

The streets were empty, except out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a couple of Biths scurrying towards something. He frowned and began to follow silently behind them.

All around him, the noise in the village began to pick up, and he realized that he must be close. The presence that he had felt when he entered the spaceport had grown stronger.

He suddenly heard shouting and yelling and cheering coming from a large tent and he began to walk towards it when he was stopped.

"Let's see your invitation," the creature said.

"You don't need to see my invitation," Obi-Wan said, waving his hand in front of the creature's face.

"I don't need to see your invitation. Move along," it repeated back to him.

Obi-Wan quickly made his way inside the tent. There was a huge crowd in front of him, and he could only see parts of the action. He saw glimpses of a Rodian being dragged across the floor and a Duro took its place.

"I've got to get closer," Obi-Wan mumbled, beginning to slowly maneuver himself around the large, stinking crowd of bounty hunters, vagabonds, and thieves.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alana had sensed someone entering the room, a presence she had never felt before. It was warm and eager, but also poised and controlled.

She pushed it to the back of her mind as the Duro came charging at her. This one was a bit harder than the others, and she knew that she needed to be faster than her opponent. He wasn't slow like the Rodian had been, or even the Twi'lek woman.

He got a few knocks in, but soon she managed to sweep her leg under him and trip him, allowing her to pounce on top of him and pin him down. She knocked him out swiftly after that and stood, ignoring the blood coming from her nose.

"I gave you three easy slaves because you have a special competitor coming up next, Skywalker," the Hutt spoke in Huttese. "Meet my new favorite pet."

Alana looked up as a Weequay came out into the circle and she bit her lips. The Weequay was one of Jabba's top bodyguards. His name was Hilvo Dobu, and he was a cruel man. Alana let out a low growl when she saw him.

He had tried to hit Anakin a few months ago and he almost killed her mother.

She took a deep breath to quell the anger in her heart just as the Weequay lept at her and she was engaged in a fierce fight.

Every time he launched an attack, coming to hit her, she managed to dive out of the way, but soon, he began to wear her down. He never let up with his attacks, it was all she could do to keep up with the alarming pace that he had set.

Meanwhile, Obi-Wan had finally gotten close enough to see what was going on.

As he came into view of the fight, he was astonished by the scene in front of him. A woman only a few years his junior was being berated by a flurry of attacks from a large male Weequay. Obi-Wan clenched his jaw as he noticed the bruising beginning to form on the woman's body.

"Stop," he whispered to himself.

Almost as soon as he spoke, Alana faltered. Suddenly Hilvo was on top of her, punching at her face and choking her. Black spots began to cloud her vision as the life was being choked out of her. She struggled under his hard grasp, and she began to panic.

Sensing her panic but remembering his Master's request to be discreet, Obi-Wan hesitated. In his moment of hesitation, he saw Alana's hand move to touch the Weequay's neck, and she force choked him for a second, not long enough to be detected, but long enough to get him off of her.

She rolled over, gasping for breath and wheezing. She was crawling away from her attacker while he was gaining the upper hand.

Thinking that he had her cornered, the Weequay laughed and went to pounce on her, but this time she was ready for him.

She whirled around, kicking him in a sensitive area, causing him to fall to his knees, and in one swift move, she stood and snapped his neck. As his body fell lifeless a hush fell over the crowd. Everyone was stunned.

Obi-Wan was focused so intently on the woman that she could feel his eyes boring into her skull. She looked around the room, gasping for air and at her actions. She suddenly locked eyes with him.

"I win," she declared before collapsing to the ground unconscious.

At that moment, the room became an uproar. She had bested the Hutt's top bodyguard. Jabba reluctantly declared her the winner. Bets began to be exchanged and the Weequay was dragged out of the circle, but Alana was left there, untouched.

Obi-Wan raced towards her and knelt beside her, checking her pulse. It was faint, just like her presence with the Force, but it was still there.

"Do you claim her for Watto?" A voice said.

Obi-Wan looked up at the creature and nodded.

"Here is the prize," the creature, apparently part of Jabba's treasury dropped a large sack full of coins beside him and turned away.

Within minutes, the tent had cleared out and there were droids and slaves cleaning everything up. Obi-Wan knew he had to get her out of there, so he stuffed the bag of money in his robe and scooped her up in his arms, taking off into the village.

The bars had filled up with Hutts and mercenaries, so Obi-Wan managed to stay under the radar as he made for the outskirts of the town. He knew she needed medical attention, and soon. Blood was pouring from her nose and one of her ears, and he could bruising on her arms and waist.

As he was carrying her, he managed to use his com to get ahold of Qui-Gon.

"Master, I have, but she is badly injured," he said.

"We will be ready when she arrives," Qui-Gon replied.

"I'm two minutes out," Obi-Wan replied.

As the ship's dim lights came into view, Obi-Wan was greeted by Qui-Gon and two of the Queen's staff, a handmaid and a pilot.

"Come, bring her inside," Qui-Gon said.

They made their way up the ramp and into the ship. Qui-Gon swept his hand across one of the tables so that Obi-Wan could set her down. Obi-Wan placed her on the table and the handmaid and the pilot got to work.

Luckily for Alana, the handmaid was specially trained to handle the welfare and medical care of the queen of Naboo, so she began her work quickly.

Obi-Wan watched on for a few minutes before realizing that Qui-Gon had left his side. He turned to see Qui-Gon standing on the ramp and looking out over the darkness of the desert.

"Master, what is it?" Obi-Wan asked.

"This girl, do you recognize her?"

"I'm not sure what you mean," Obi-Wan asked.

"She was once a Padawan, like yourself," Qui-Gon said quietly.

"She was?" Obi-Wan thought to himself. Suddenly, he looked up at his Master. "I do know of her. She was Master Windu's Padawan. I just assumed she had become a Knight."

"News of her departure was kept quiet, and most people forgot," Qui-Gon said. "They found out two years ago that the reason for her leaving was a mistake, but by that point, she had completely disappeared, assumed dead or unwilling to return."

"A mistake?" Obi-Wan asked.

Before Qui-Gon could respond, the pilot came to them.

"Eirtaé has stabilized her, and she will be better come morning, but she is going to be out for the rest of the night," he said.

"Thank you, my friend," Qui-Gon responded. "Rest now."

The pilot nodded and turned away.

"Come, my Padawan, let us also rest so that we are ready for the day that awaits us tomorrow," Qui-Gon said.

"Yes, Master."

Obi-Wan went to retire to his quarters with Qui-Gon and some of the other pilots when he remembered that he had removed his robe in the room where Alana lay.

He walked back towards her but stopped when he really got a good look at her. Alana's eyes were shut, one of them heavily swollen. She had bruises and cuts that littered her face and arms, but even then, something drew himself to her. He sat down on the bench across the room from the table, and he looked over at her, her lips slightly parted, the sound of her light breath filling the room.

He pulled his robe around himself and soon found himself falling asleep.


	3. Change

Alana woke early in the morning to the sound of people speaking quietly. She tried to open her eyes to see what was going on when she was struck by a throbbing in her head. She began to panic when she realized that she couldn't see around her, and when she tried to speak, nothing came out.

"Hush, your vocal cords were damaged in your fight," a voice came from above her.

The bright ceiling lights kept Alana from seeing who was speaking to her, so she brought up an arm to shield her face. Beside where she was laying was a young woman who Alana had never met before.

As if sensing her panic, another face came into view. It was Qui-Gon Jinn.

"You're alright, Alana. You're on my ship just outside of Mos Espa. You were knocked unconscious after winning your fight last night, and my Padawan, Obi-Wan, found you and brought you here. Eirtaé has patched you up as best as she can," he said.

"Mom? Ani?" Alana managed to say hoarsely, despite Eirtaé's protests.

"Please, Alana, be quiet. I was just about to head into town to speak with your mother and brother about your condition," Qui-Gon said.

Alana struggled against Eirtaé's grasp on her shoulders and managed to sit up, despite the burning pain all over her body from the bruises, and the sharp pain in her throat and head. Just as she sat up, trying to protest Qui-Gon leaving her on the ship, her eyes came into contact with the man from the night before, who she assumed was Qui-Gon's Padawan, who was now standing just behind his Master and out of sight from where she had been laying.

The two caught eyes, with Alana reaching for a fuzzy memory of his presence from long ago, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it.

"I'm going," Alana rasped out, pulling her attention from Obi-Wan and looking at Qui-Gon.

"You're in no condition," Eirtaé said.

"I, for one, agree," Qui-Gon added.

Alana began to stand from the table. Despite her bruises and the condition of her throat and head, she was able to stand perfectly fine.

"I'm going," she repeated.

"Master, it is not our place to keep her from her home," Obi-Wan spoke up in her defense.

Alana flashed him a grateful smile before looking back at Qui-Gon, who sighed.

"Alright, then," he said. "We are leaving shortly, and you should change before we head back. The blood on your shirt will cause your mother more anxiety than she needs."

Eirtaé pursed her lips, clearly unsatisfied with the analysis of the situation, but she went along with it.

"Come, I will give you new clothing. The Queen is still resting, but I'm sure she won't mind us taking some clothes for you," Eirtaé said, taking Alana's bandaged hand. Alana could only assume that her knuckles were raw from the fight.

After a few minutes spent wordlessly arguing with Eirtaé, Alana was finally dressed in suitable clothing for the climate of Tatooine. She stepped out of the room and smoothed the shirt down before looking back up to find Obi-Wan standing with his back to her. They were the only two in the room.

"Thank you," Alana whispered, barely audible with the raspiness of her voice.

Obi-Wan turned and saw her. She wore a simple blue shirt tucked into a pair of trousers. A belt held a jacket and her trousers tight across her waist, and in her hand, she was holding a scarf to wrap around her face to keep the sand out. He stood there for a moment, taking her in when he realized that Alana had repeated her statement.

"Oh, of course, my lady," Obi-Wan replied.

"Alana," she said, smiling at his flushed cheeks. He fit the role of the Padawan so well, but she figured he should be coming out of training soon.

Alana wanted to ask him about his life as a Padawan, but her sore throat and the sound of Qui-Gon approaching was enough to stop her from continuing the conversation. Padme, Jar Jar, and R2 were just behind him.

"Come, Alana, we should depart so that we are not late," Qui-Gon said. "I'll be back soon to drop off our winnings," he said to Obi-Wan.

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan replied.

With that, the group left the ship, heading for the spaceport. Alana found herself wincing every so often at the pain she felt whenever she needed to take a deep breath. Her body was drained of energy, and every time she opened her mouth to take a breath, her throat protested.

After 30 minutes, they finally arrived at the Skywalker's residence. Alana could feel Shmi's stress at the fact that Alana had not returned home that evening and Anakin's fear for her.

Alana entered her home, and immediately Shmi rounded the corner from the kitchen, her panicking subsiding while she saw who was in the room.

"Oh, Lanie," she said, running over and pulling Alana into her arms. She then stepped back and checked Alana all over, inspecting her injuries. "Look at you. You're injured!"

"I'm okay, Mom. Qui-Gon sent his Padawan to get me. He took me back to their ship," Alana said.

Shmi raised an eyebrow when she heard how quiet and raspy Alana's voice was.

"Sit. All of you," Shmi said, motioning for the rest of the group to join. "I'm going to fix you a drink that will fix you right up," she said, whirling around and heading back into the kitchen. The group all took their seats at the table when a voice called for their attention.

"Lanie!" Anakin shouted, running into the room and leaping into Alana's lap, causing her to groan softly at him hitting her bruises with lightning speed. "You're okay!"

"Of course I am, Ani," Alana said.

"You're hurt," Anakin said matter-of-factly. "Did you lose?"

Alana pursed her lips, recalling the moment when she snapped Hilvo Dobu's neck. It wasn't uncommon for someone to die from injuries sustained during the fights, but it was rare for one of the opponents to be killed outright. It hadn't been a fair fight in the first place, the Weequay had been much better trained, even despite her Jedi training. He would have killed her for fun, for the sport of it. A person like that deserved to die, and she was almost glad she had done it.

"Alana," Qui-Gon's voice brought her back. He could sense the dark places that her mind was wandering, and he knew that if she went further, she would end up lurking in a place no Jedi should.

"No, I didn't lose," Alana replied finally. "But I didn't win either," she said, looking down at her hands.

Anakin was silent for a moment. He slid slowly off of Alana's lap and looked around at the table.

"Well, I'm going to win today," he said.

"I hope so," Alana smiled. "Well, I know so." She looked up as her mother reentered the room and handed her a cup of something. The smell was rank, but Alana simply wrinkled her nose in disgust before downing the drink. She kept herself from gagging, but some of the rest of the company could not. Qui-Gon, seeing the expressions on Jar Jar and Padme's face, stood.

"I am going to arrive a little early. I'd like to see the place we're going to race and discuss some things with Watto," he said. "Should anyone like to come with me, now would be the time."

"Mesa go with you!" Jar Jar said. Behind him, R2 chirped.

"I will come with you," Alana said, standing. "I also have some things I need to discuss with Watto."

The group exited the house again and made their way quickly to the hangar where the podracers were beginning to warm up. Anakin and Padme were not too far behind the group. As Qui-Gon walked, Alana walked beside him, just like he were her Master.

"You're going to talk to Watto about securing my family's freedom, aren't you?" Alana suddenly said. Qui-Gon looked to Alana with an eyebrow raised.

"Your brother shows promise," Qui-Gon said. "He would make a great Jedi."

"I should have told the Council about him," Alana admitted. "In these recent years, it is one thing that I regret the most," she looked up at Obi-Wan. "My judgment was clouded with anger, and I could not see the mistakes that I myself was making."

"You have grown wise, young one," Qui-Gon said. "If Anakin were free and came to Coruscant, would you come?"

Alana thought for a moment, continuing on in silence. There were many things that she needed to consider.

"I don't know," she admitted. "A part of me is still uneasy with the past, but I would want to be there to guide and help Ani in any way that I could."

"Your feelings for others are strong, Alana," Qui-Gon said. "Be cautious of that."

"I know. It is something Master Windu always counseled me on, Master," Alana said.

Qui-Gon looked down at her, an eyebrow raised at the way she had just spoken. Realizing that she had just spoken to him as a Jedi, she shook her head and gave him a small smile.

"I suppose that is my answer, then," she said.

When they arrived to speak with Watto, Alana branched off to keep an eye on some of the other racers. She gritted her teeth as she passed Sebulba's pod, and turned just in time to see Watto roll a chance dice. If it weren't for her perception skills as a Jedi, she would not have seen the tiny wave that Qui-Gon made in the direction of the dice, using the Force to make it land on the blue.

Alana approached just as Watto was sputtering a warning before flying away.

"What was that about?" Alana asked.

"Your brother," Qui-Gon said. "If Anakin wins the race, he will have his freedom."

Alana smiled and threw her arms unexpectedly around Qui-Gon's neck.

"Thank you," she said, before realizing that he was uncomfortable. She stepped back and took a deep breath. At that moment, Anakin arrived, and everything became a flurry of getting him ready for the race. They helped him with any last and final touches for the pod before making their way to their viewing area.

Shmi had been given a viewing screen from a rather drunk Rodian and was watching Anakin fix his goggles as the announcer began to announce. Jabba the Hutt made his appearance. Alana bit her tongue to keep from saying something offensive. Everyone made room for her on the viewing platform as Alana put her hand up to shield her eyes from the sun. The platform began to rise into the air. Since they were supporting the race, they got a good view from the tower, close to the raceway.

"Come on, Ani," Alana whispered, pressing her hands together and then against her mouth.

Just as she said that, the green light went on and the podracers took off. Alana's eye was on her brother, who had stalled out just as the light had turned.

"Come on, Ani, come on!" She shouted, running her hands through her hair.

"Calm, Alana," Qui-Gon. "Trust that your brother will win."

Alana was about to retort that the Force had little to do with racing, but Anakin got free and took off like a blaster shot. She watched until he was around the bend before huddling around Shmi and watching the race on the screen.

The announcers were jabbering on about the race, announcing when two of the speeders were blown up. They kept their eye on the screen as Ani began to catch up to Sebulba, slowly but surely he was moving up in the field of racers.

Alana looked up and around the corner, expecting to see her brother coming by any second when right on schedule he whipped by them again.

"One down, two to go," Shmi said.

"He's going to catch up," Alana said.

They watched the screen as one of the opponents that Alana had never seen before jostled up against Anakin, trying to prevent him from passing them. Luckily, he got out just in time to do the infamous drop down on the racecourse.

Just as they came out of one of the valleys, the fighter ahead of him blew up, sending Anakin spinning through the air. His pod had become untethered to one of the engines.

"Use the stabilizer and the hand wrench, Ani," Alana muttered.

He continued to spin for a few seconds but was able to finally get control of his racer just in time for the next valley section. He was able to get past the Tusken Raiders who were camping on an embankment trying to shoot off the racers. Then Anakin began to catch up to Sebulba just as they entered their last lap.

"You can do this, Ani," Padme said.

Alana began to tense up, knowing that this was going to be the hardest part of Anakin's race.

He reached Sebulba in the middle of a valley, but instead of waiting, he tried to push past Sebulba, but instead, he was forced onto the service ramp of the course. He went up and up and up, arcing high into the sky. Alana could feel her mother's hand grab hers as Anakin began to drop out of the sky.

Suddenly he thrusted his engines and was ahead of Sebulba, coming up out of the valley. They raced for a few moments, with Anakin racing faster and faster as Sebulba was about to catch him in his electric motors, when suddenly something came flying off Anakin's pod, and his left engine caught fire.

"No," Alana whispered.

He was able to get control of his engine fire, but his pod slowed down, giving Sebulba a second of a headstart. Alana watched as he fiddled with his engine for a moment before finally, he sped forward at great speed, heading straight for Sebulba.

Anakin got up side by side with him and latched on to his engine. They fought for a few moments, with Alana pursing her lips.

That was a dangerous game he was playing, and one that would not go over so well if he didn't execute his move carefully.

Alana took a deep breath as her mother and Padme looked away from the screen just as he thrusted his motors and detached himself from Sebulba. As he pulled away, the thrust of his engines helped to tear Sebulba's pod in half, allowing Anakin to speed out of harm's way.

He sped into the raceway stadium to the cheers of many. Alana cried out in happiness and hugged her mother. They descended from their seats and approached the pod, with Alana getting there just as he was standing from his pod, hid face covered with dirt.

She picked him up and twirled him around, much to his delight, then he was placed on Qui-Gon's shoulders and hoisted into the air.

"Great job, Ani!" Everyone shouted.

After a while of cheering and celebration of the race, Anakin was given the rewards and money for his win. They made their way to the hangar where people were reluctantly giving Anakin the reward.

Alana was speaking with her mother when Padme went and spoke to Anakin, and then Shmi spoke quietly with her son as Alana looked on.

"You," Alana heard Watto say. She turned to Watto to see him speaking with Qui-Gon. "You swindled me," he said.

"You knew the boy was going to win. Somehow you knew it," he hissed. "I lost everything."

"Whenever you gamble, my friend, eventually you'll lose," Qui-Gon replied. "Bring the parts to the main hangar. I'll come by your shop later on so you can release the boy."

"You can't have him. It wasn't a fair bet," Watto said.

Alana pursed her lips and approached the two.

"Would you like to discuss it with the Hutts, then, Watto?" Alana demanded. "I'm sure they can settle this."

Seeing her, Watto grumbled. "Take him," he said, looking almost guilty for his reaction.

Qui-Gon bowed his head and departed, Alana following in his steps. Watto seemed to understand that she would no longer be at his shop either.

As they settled things, it was decided that Alana and Anakin would return with Shmi to their house and prepare to depart while Qui-Gon and the rest of the group would leave for the ship. Qui-Gon would return shortly after dropping off the parts for the ship.

Alana and Anakin went and sold the pod and brought the money back to the house for Shmi.

"Mom, look at all the money we have!" Anakin said, giving Shmi the money.

"My goodness," Shmi exclaimed, takin git from Anakin and looking up at Alana. She looked to Alana and smiled.

"Will you go with them?" Shmi asked. Anakin turned and looked at his sister, confused.

"What does she mean?" Anakin asked. Alana knelt down in front of her brother and smiled, wiping his hair out of his eyes.

"Well, Ani, you know how I was a Jedi? Well, they've asked me to come back with them to Coruscant," she said.

"Are you going to go?" Anakin asked.

"Well, actually, that depends on you," she replied, looking up at her mother. "Anakin's been freed. Master Qui-Gon bet that if you won the race you would be freed," she said.

"Did you hear that?" Anakin exclaimed excitedly, looking over at Shmi.

"Now you can make your dreams come true, Ani," she said, a sad look on her face. "You are free," she looked over at Alana. "Does Qui-Gon want to take Anakin with him?"

"Yes, which is why I've decided that if Anakin chooses to go with Qui-Gon, I will come with him. I want to look after him since I know that's what you'd want," Alana said.

"Is he to become a Jedi?"

A voice came from behind Alana. Qui-Gon had returned just at that moment, and in hearing the conversation, he spoke up.

"Yes. Our meeting was not a coincidence. Nothing happens by accident," he said.

"You mean I get to come with you in your starship?" Anakin asked excitedly. Alana had forgotten that Anakin had never left Tatooine.

"Anakin, training to become a Jedi is not an easy challenge, like your sister has probably already told you," Qui-Gon said. "And even if you succeed, it's a hard life."

"But I wanna go," Anakin said. "It's what I've always dreamed of doing," Anakin replied adamantly. He turned and approached Shmi. "Can I go, Mom?"

"Anakin, this path had been placed before you, just like your sister's before her," Shmi said, taking Anakin's hands in her own. "The choice is yours and yours alone."

Anakin looked up at Alana who smiled down at him. He looked up at her and then back at Shmi.

"I wanna to do it," he said.

Shmi looked like she was about to say something, but she kept her mouth closed, and looked up at Qui-Gon.

"Then pack your things. The both of you. We haven't got much time," Qui-Gon said.

Alana nodded and stood, taking her brother's hand and the two of them left the room to get their things together. As they were walking to their bedroom, Anakin froze.

"What about Mom?" Anakin asked. He looked up at Alana. "Is she free too?" He turned and looked at Shmi and then at Qui-Gon.

"I tried to free your mother, Ani, but Watto wouldn't have it," he said.

"But, you're coming with us, aren't you, Mom?" Anakin asked. He let go of Alana's hand and went back to Shmi, who held him in her arms.

"Oh, Ani, my place is here," Shmi said. "My future is here. It is time for you to let go. Alana will be coming with you."

"I don't want things to change," Anakin said.

"But you can't stop the change, any more than you can stop the suns from setting," Shmi said. She took Anakin's face in her hands and smiled. "Oh, I love you."

Anakin and her embraced. Alana took a deep breath and looked away. She did not want to leave her mother any more than Anakin did.

"Now hurry," Shmi said. "Go with your sister and pack."

Anakin nodded and made his way somberly to where Alana stood and slipped his hand in hers. The two of them made their way quickly to the room, preparing to embark on this brand new adventure.


	4. Back to the Beginning

"Alana!" Shmi called.

Alana left Anakin to finish placing the last things in his bag and came out from their room, a small knapsack around her shoulders. She looked at her mother and gave her a sad smile.

"Come here, darling," Shmi whispered, her arms outstretched. Alana buried herself in her mother's arms. "I knew this would happen again one day. Take care of yourself, Lanie. And keep an eye out for Anakin whenever you can."

"Always," Alana whispered.

They stood there for a moment longer before Qui-Gon cleared his throat as Anakin scampered into the room, signifying that it was time to leave. Alana stepped back and took a deep breath.

"Wait, Lanie, I think there's something you're forgetting," Shmi said, turning to a storage container of the side of the room. It hadn't been touched in years. She rummaged around for a moment before finding what she was looking for.

"Mom," Alana said quietly as her mother pulled out a long, silver cylinder. It was Alana's lightsaber.

"You should have it back," Shmi replied, handing it to her daughter. "Please."

Alana took it gently, almost fearful of touching it. She quickly attached it underneath her shawl and to the belt that Eirtaé had given her on the ship. She looked at her mother, a look of understanding and love passing their faces before the group made their way outside.

As the group began to move, Alana could sense her brother's happiness. Then with a blink of an eye, it turned to sadness and confusion. She looked back to see her brother racing toward their mother and smiled. He had never left Tatooine before.

Qui-Gon stopped, waiting patiently for Anakin to say goodbye to Shmi. Alana stood beside him, looking at the exchange between the two. Shmi was kneeling on the ground beside Anakin, talking quietly.

After a few more moments, the two embraced and Anakin was back on his way to Qui-Gon and Alana. As the group made their way away from the house, Anakin silently slipped his hand inside of Alana's. Alana looked down at her brother and squeezed his hand for reassurance.

"I'll always look out for you, Ani," she whispered, just loud enough for him to hear.

"I know," Anakin said.

Alana smiled and the group trudged on through the village. Once they left the spaceport, Alana began to feel a pit form in her stomach. Something malicious was present, and she was not excited to find out what it was.

Qui-Gon seemed to sense the same thing, and he began to pick up his pace drastically, almost going across the desert in a sprint. Alana could keep the pace, but she chose instead to fall back beside her brother.

They were almost to the ship when she suddenly sensed something behind her and just as she turned to face it, Qui-Gon shouted.

"Drop!"

Alana fell to the ground, yanking her brother down with her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone in a black robe jumping off of a hovercraft.

"Get to the ship! Tell them to take off!" Qui-Gon called.

Alana immediately stood and raced off, practically dragging Anakin behind her. The two of them raced up the ramp of the ship. They were greeted by Padme and a guard.

"Take off!" Alana tried to yell.

"Qui-Gon's in trouble!" Anakin added.

The two of them came into the cockpit where Obi-Wan and a pilot were situated.

Immediately, Obi-Wan began to give instructions.

"Take off," he said, looking out over the desert. He spotted Qui-Gon fighting someone with a lightsaber. "Over there! Fly low."

Alana watched as they neared the fight, and she watched as Qui-Gon managed to make an escape and jumped on the ship. She turned with Anakin and Obi-Wan and raced out of the cockpit to see Qui-Gon laying on the floor, exhaustion evident in his face.

"Are you alright?" Anakin called.

"I think so," Qui-Gon responded, sitting upright as the three came and knelt around him.

"What was it?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I'm not sure, but it was well-trained in the Jedi arts," Qui-Gon responded. "My guess is, it was after the queen."

"What are we going to do about it?" Anakin asked.

"We shall be patient," Qui-Gon replied. He realized that Anakin and Obi-Wan had not yet met, and he made the introduction.

"Hi!" Anakin said, reaching his hand and shaking Obi-Wan's excitedly. "You're a Jedi too?"

Obi-Wan nodded, with an eyebrow raised at the energy of their new companion.

"Pleased to meet you."

Alana smiled and stood, helping her brother up. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon stood also.

"We should rest. The Outer Rim is much further from Coruscant than we think," Qui-Gon said.

Alana nodded, but she found herself to be far more awake than she hoped. The others parted ways, and many of the crew began to return to their rooms.

Alana helped her brother find a comfortable spot on a bench in the main area of the ship, and she waited with him until he fell asleep. For a few hours, she tried to sleep there with him, but she was too restless.

Alana finally decided to look around the ship instead. She passed many sleeping crew members and one of the Queen's ladies before silently making her way up into the cockpit. The doors slid open to reveal a pilot and Obi-Wan sitting at the controls.

"Hello," the pilot said, seeing their new company.

"I couldn't sleep," Alana said hoarsely. Even though the treatment that Eirtaé had given her and the disgusting drink Shmi had made her drink were working quickly, Alana was still far from perfect.

"We're about ten hours from Coruscant," Obi-Wan said. Alana nodded and took a seat at one of the control panels. It had been a long time since she had been on a ship like this, and she looked around, refamiliarizing herself with the schematics.

"How long has it been?" Obi-Wan suddenly spoke up. "Since you've been to Coruscant?"

Alana looked up from the display and over at Obi-Wan.

"Seven years," she said, looking down at her hands. "Has it changed much?"

"I like to think not," Obi-Wan said. "But I'm sure it has. My Master and I have been busy lately and have not returned to Coruscant in almost a year."

"You must be nearing your Trials, then?" Alana asked.

"I hope so. I am ready," Obi-Wan replied.

There were a few moments of silence between the two when suddenly the pilot spoke up.

"Sir, I'd like to place the controls in your hands if you don't mind. It's been a long day for me," he looked over his shoulder at Obi-Wan.

"Of course," Obi-Wan said. "Would you send someone else up in a few hours?"

"No problem," the pilot said before standing and exiting the cockpit.

Obi-Wan stood and took the pilot's seat, not worrying too much as the ship was autopiloting itself through hyperspace. He looked back to see Alana engrossed in figuring out what one of the switches was for. She sat cross-legged in the seat, her hair tied up in a braid that wrapped around her head like a crown. Her blue eyes flickering back and forth between a manual that she had found taped to the underside of the seat and the controls in front of her.

Almost sensing Obi-Wan's gaze on her, she looked up and caught his eyes. She knew what questions he had for her, and she sighed.

"Ask," she said.

"No, no, it's alright," Obi-Wan said, startled at her abruptness.

"I won't offer an answer again," Alana replied. Obi-Wan hesitated before speaking again.

"Why did you leave?"

"There were some in the Council who accused me of leaning into the dark side of the Force. " Alana replied. She had never truly told anyone the reason for her departure other than Shmi. "They found that someone was trying to search into that path at the library. With the politics and the fact that I was Master Windu's Padawan, it all came together and ruined my faith in the Council and the Council’s faith in me. Despite everything that Master Windu did to stop them, they asked me to leave the order. And I did."

Obi-Wan looked at her, astonished. "I had no idea that happened. Do they know now the truth?"

"One day, I was in Coruscant on an errand for Watto, and Master Windu ran into me. He told me everything and even asked me back, but I couldn't " Alana said. "I had grown angry with the decisions the Council made. I blamed them for what happened to my mother and father-" She froze after that, shutting her lips. She had said too much.

Obi-Wan sat in silence. He barely remembered his parents. They had long since faded into a distant memory. He was committed to the Jedi Order and to the ways of the Force, and that was all that mattered to him. Something inside of him wished that there was more to being a Jedi, that they could love others and commit to them, but he pushed that back.

"And now?"

"It has taken a lot of time to realize that forgiveness and patience are some of the most important aspects of becoming a Jedi. I have come to terms with what happened all that time ago. And now that I find Anakin has the same path as me," Alana trailed off, looking up at Obi-Wan. "I only hope that I can protect him from the injustice that has happened to me.”

The two of them sat in silence for some time, as Obi-Wan was overwhelmed with everything that Alana had told him.

"And you?" Alana asked. Before Obi-Wan could respond, Alana began to have a coughing fit. She had spoken too much for the injuries to her vocal cords and throat. Obi-Wan used the comlink to call for a pilot so that he could help Alana.

Within a few seconds, two pilots arrived and allowed Obi-Wan to stand and guide a coughing Alana out of the cockpit towards where the rations and food were being stored.

"Here," Obi-Wan said, getting her a cup with some water. Alana took it gratefully and drank deeply, enjoying the cooling sensation that drained down her throat. Her coughing soon subsided.

Obi-Wan was leaned up against one of the walls of the ship, his calm and collected energy filling the room, and Alana’s thoughts. His brownish-auburn hair was cut short, with his Padawan learner braid kept tightly woven behind his left ear. He was fiddling with his braid when he looked up at Alana, his steel-blue eyes meeting hers.

“What is it?” He asked. Alana looked down at her feet sheepishly.

“Your presence in the Force,” she began. “It’s unlike anything I’ve felt before.”

“I know what you mean,” Obi-Wan replied. “Each person’s is unique. Master Yoda’s presence is strong and wise, Master Qui-Gon’s is kind and compassionate, Master Windu’s presence is-“

“Stern but loyal,” Alana finished, laughing a bit. “He terrified me at first. I was only eight when I became his Padawan. His voice, his strength, and his presence in the Force, I was almost shivering from fright.”

“And what did he say to you?”

“Do not shiver, my young Padawan, I do not bite,” Alana replied in Windu’s voice before letting out a light laugh. Obi-Wan chuckled softly at her accurate interpretation. “I should not laugh. He was a good Master to me.”

“He has not taken on another Padawan since,” Obi-Wan replied. He noticed the smile disappear into shock and then sadness on her face.

“I suppose I disappointed him by leaving.”

“Or perhaps he was just waiting for you to return.”

Alana stood up a little straighter at his reply.

“Come, we should both rest now. You’ll be expected at the Jedi temple when we arrive back at Coruscant,” Obi-Wan said, moving away from the wall.

“I suppose you’re right,” Alana replied. “I’m going to go check on Ani, then I’ll rest.”

“I look forward to getting to know you as a Jedi, Alana,” Obi-Wan said just before he turned to go back to his quarters with the guards and pilots.

“Likewise, Obi-Wan,” she replied as she went the other way.

Alana made her way back to the center of the ship, where she had left Anakin. She noticed Padme disappearing back to the handmaid’s quarters just as she arrived. Anakin was sitting up in a corner, with one of the handmaid’s shawls draped across him. He saw his sister and gave her a weak smile.

“I thought you had left me,” he said quietly.

“Oh no, Ani, I’m sorry. I couldn’t sleep, so I went up to the cockpit,” she said, wiping a smudge of dirt of his face.

“Padme came and gave me this because I was cold,” he said.

“She is very kind. Space is much colder than Tatooine, Ani,” Alana spoke, sitting beside him and letting him rest his head on her chest. She wrapped her arms around him, holding him close.

“I’m going to go back and get Mom one day, and we’ll fly around space, and I’ll show her all the planets I’ve visited,” Anakin said, beginning to rub his eyes sleepily.

“I think she would love that, Ani,” Alana replied. “Hush now and get some rest. I’ll stay right here until we land,” she said.

“Thank you, Lanie,” Anakin said quietly.

Within a few moments, Alana felt Anakin’s head become heavy on her chest, and his breathing got lighter. She sat beside him, finding comfort in the sound of his light breaths until she finally let the hum of the ship and the rhythm of his breathing lull her into a deep sleep.


	5. The Council of Coruscant

Alana woke with a start to someone shaking her shoulder violently. She looked up to see Anakin in front of her, a beaming smile on his face.

"We're almost there," he said. "I want to go up to the cockpit."

Alana took a deep breath, realizing that there was no danger, and that they were alright. She sat up and stretched before standing and letting her brother whisk her down the hall to the cockpit. They arrived just as the ship was coming out of hyperspace.

"Wow!" Anakin exclaimed. The pilot chuckled and pointed to the planet of Coruscant that lay directly ahead of them.

"Coruscant," he said. "The entire planet is one big city."

He maneuvered the ship at an angle parallel to the landing platform. Alana could see people coming out of a shuttle next to the platform.

"Look, there's Chancellor Vellorum's shuttle," the pilot said. "And over there, Senator Palpatine is waiting for us."

"Come on, Anakin," Alana said. "Let's let him land the ship." The two of them made their way out of the cockpit and down to the door, where the entire crew was surrounding the queen. Alana and Anakin stepped up behind Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon. The Queen and her handmaids were right behind them with her head of security.

As the doors opened, they stepped down off the ship and approached the Senator. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan bowed, with Alana and Anakin following suit. They stepped out of the way to reveal the queen.

"It is a great gift to see you alive, Your Majesty," Senator Palpatine said. "With the communications breakdown, we've been very concerned. I'm anxious to hear your report on the situation."

Alana noticed Anakin about to wander off, so she quietly placed both her hands on his shoulders and held him steady.

"May I present Supreme Chancellor Valorum," Senator Palpatine continued.

"Welcome, Your Highness. It's an honor to finally meet you in person," the Chancellor said.

"Thank you, Supreme Chancellor," the queen replied as they began to head towards the shuttle. Alana let go of her brother, and he followed behind the queen, overly absorbed in the conversation. Alana chose to fall in step beside Obi-Wan.

"I must relay to you how distressed everyone is over the current situation. I've called for a special session of the senate to hear your position," he replied.

"I'm grateful for your concern, Chancellor," the queen replied.

"There is a question of procedure, but I'm confident we can overcome it," Palpatine replied.

As the group continued towards the shuttle, Qui-Gon stopped to speak with the Chancellor. Alana stood quietly beside Obi-Wan as he spoke.

"I must speak with the Jedi Council immediately. The situation has become much more complicated," Qui-Gon looked to Alana.

She looked over to see Anakin had stopped and was looking to her for what to do. Alana saw Padme speak quietly to him, and he continued forward while still looking back at his sister.

Qui-Gon nodded and waved him away. Alana gave him a smile and a nod as if to say 'I'll see you soon." After being reassured by that, he moved onto the shuttle and sat beside Jar-Jar. The shuttle took off, leaving the Alana with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon.

The Chancellor bid them farewell and headed back to the Senate with his guards just as another shuttle arrived to bring the group to the Jedi Temple.

Alana found herself beside Obi-Wan as the shuttle took off. She looked about her, smiling to herself at the busy airstreams of Coruscant. As they approached the Temple, she took a deep breath. It had been seven years since she had been this close to the Temple. She could sense the intense power of the Force, but it did not overwhelm her as it once had. 

"Seven years," she whispered as they landed.

"Come," Obi-Wan said, jumping up onto the platform beside the Temple and offering her help as she got out.

"Alana, I would like for you to stay outside the Council room until after we have discussed the person who attacked us on Tatooine.

"Yes, Master," Alana responded.

The three of them made way towards the Jedi Council room, with Alana staying hidden behind them she paused outside the doors as the other two entered. She stayed out of sight and sat on a bench, waiting to be called in. For some time, she sat and meditated, ignoring the agonizing wait she had to endure. 

After a few hours, she took her lightsaber from her belt and looked at it. The sensation of wielding the saber was almost foreign to her now, but as she held it, she remembered some of her training. Alana looked around the hall, finding it deserted and stood, igniting her lightsaber.

A green glow surrounded it, the sound of her crystal inside vibrating. She swung it slowly, remembering the weight and the balance of her lightsaber. She swung again, engrossed in the strength in front of her.

She turned and went to swing again when another green lightsaber crashed against hers and startling her. She had not been expecting to find the resistance in front of her.

She extinguished her lightsaber and looked at her opponent. It was an old friend, only one year older than Alana. The two had been younglings together a long time ago.

"Shaak Ti!" Alana exclaimed.

"Good to see you, my friend," Shaak replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "You seem to have forgotten some rules we learned as younglings- something about not swinging lightsabers in the hallways."

Alana stood there for a second, raising her eyebrow.

"You haven't changed at all," Shaak Ti said, laughing and opening her arms to embrace her friend. The two hugged, and Alana shook her head as they stepped back.

"It has been a long time, my friend," Alana said.

"Too long," Shaak Ti said. "I was shocked when you left. Many of us were angry with you for some time until I found out the truth."

"I would have been angry too," Alana said, shaking her head. "I was bitter for a long time, but I have come to realize that my own anger blinded me from working for the truth."

"I only wish we had known sooner," Shaak Ti replied.

"How is your training going?" Alana asked, eager to change the subject.

"Good. I think my Master is going to speak to the Council about my progress soon," Shaak said proudly.

Alana grinned. "I'm happy for you. You're on your way to being a great Jedi Master, I just know it."

"What brings you here?" Shaak Ti asked.

"A long story, my friend," Alana said. "When I left the Order, I returned to my home planet in search of my family. I found that they had been taken into slavery on Tatooine. My brother had just been born, so I returned and stayed there for a long time until Master Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan showed up."

"They brought you back here?"

"I'm asking the Council to allow me back into the Jedi Order," Alana said. "Or at least, I will ask them to train my brother."

"We would be glad to have you back, Alana," Shaak Ti said with a smile. She suddenly looked past Alana to see that Qui-Gon was waiting for Alana. Alana turned and saw Qui-Gon looking at her.

"May the Force be with you, Lanie," Shaak Ti said quietly, giving her friend's hand a light squeeze. "Find me when you can."

"Of course," Alana replied, bowing to her friend and watching the Togruta move off before turning to Qui-Gon.

"Come, young one, the Council awaits you," he said, ushering her into the room.

Alana could feel the Council all staring at her as she entered the room. She heard a few whispers and a few gasps. She looked around at the Council, seeing many familiar faces, but a few new ones. None of the Jedi who had opposed her presence in the Order were there any longer, and for that, she was grateful.

She was also grateful to see Obi-Wan standing in the middle, shooting her a look as if to say, 'I'm here for you.' She came and stood beside him and looked to the circle, her eyes coming directly into contact with none other than her old Master's. Master Windu looked back at her, quickly concealing any attachment or feeling he had for her.

"I knew I sensed a familiar presence," Master Windu finally spoke.

"Master Windu," Alana bowed. "Masters," she acknowledged everyone in the room.

"An interesting turn of events, this is," Master Yoda spoke up. "Unexpected, you are."

"It was fate that brought our ship to Tatooine," Qui-Gon spoke up. "I ask that you allow Alana Skywalker to return to the Jedi Order."

"That is a difficult request, Master Qui-Gon," one of the members spoke up. "It has been a long time since she has had training. How long, exactly?"

"Seven years, Master," Alana replied.

"Why did you not return to us earlier?" Another voice spoke. Alana sighed and began to speak again.

"I was angry," she admitted. "When I was asked to leave the Order, I left because I was angry at the injustice cast towards me, and I was determined to never let the Jedi influence me again," she paused for a moment, choosing her next words carefully. "It took many years to finally realize that what had happened to me was a mistake, and that those who sought to get rid of me were the reason for my anger, not the Jedi. I realized that my anger had turned me away from the Jedi and led me astray."

"And what have you learned, then, young one?" Master Yoda asked.

"Anger only breeds catastrophe," Alana admitted. "My feelings were too strong, and I had not dealt with them as a member of the Jedi Order should. I learned that it is most important to forgive than to seek revenge, and I am now at peace with what has happened to me."

"And now what do you seek?" Master Windu asked.

Alana thought for a moment. She wanted to return to the Jedi Order, but she may not be able to see that come to fruition.

"At first, my heart tells me to ask to return to the Jedi Order, so I may take my place as it once was, but I know now that what I truly seek is forgiveness for my anger and for abandoning the life and purpose of the Jedi," she said, bowing her head.

Everyone looked at her in amazement. No one had expected her to say these things. Obi-Wan was amazed at her honesty and her willingness to admit where she had failed. He admired her for that. Silence emanated from the room for a few moments until finally, a voice spoke.

"Happy, I am, to see you," Master Yoda finally spoke. "Too long, it has been, young one."

"I think the Council agrees that you have learned your place, Alana. And the Council wishes to extend to you a second chance," Master Windu spoke.

Alana looked up to her former Master's face, shining with hope. The members of the council were all nodding in agreement.

"You will undergo testing to assess your progress since your departure from the Jedi Order, and after that, if there is no objection, you will continue your training under Master Windu," one of the council members spoke.

"Thank you, my Masters, I will not let you down," Alana said, bowing.

"There is another matter we wish to discuss with you," Master Windu spoke. "Your brother."

Alana frowned and nodded.

"Yes?" She asked.

"His fate is uncertain. We will test the boy, but many agree that he is far too old to begin his training," Windu said.

Alana pursed her lips.

"I can assure you, Master, that my brother has the potential to be a great Jedi. I have tried to train him in some ways, but he does need help. I would be happy-"

"Alana," Qui-Gon said sharply, indicating that she should stop speaking.

"We will have to see," Master Windu said. "Bring him before us."

Alana bowed and left the room behind Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan. The three of them made their way back outside to send for a shuttle to pick up Anakin. As they waited, Alana began to pace.

"What's troubling you?" Obi-Wan asked.

"What do you think?" Alana asked. "I came with the hope that Anakin would be trained, and the Council is very doubtful of that."

They stood in silence for some time until Anakin showed up with a guard. Alana helped him up from the shuttle and smiled as he took in the Jedi Temple before him.

"Wow, Lanie!" He exclaimed. "It's so big!"

"I know, Anakin, have patience, alright? They want to put you through some testing first, so we must hurry," Alana said. She noted the sunset as they made their way up the steps and into the Temple. As they entered, she felt Anakin slip his hand into hers.

They took the elevator up the temple to where the Council was still waiting for their arrival. Alana let go of Anakin's hand just outside the door and knelt before him.

"Be polite. Do not speak until spoken to. I'll be back to get you once you're done," she said. "May the Force be with you, Ani."

Anakin took a deep breath before turning and entering the Council room. The doors shut behind him, and Alana stood, rubbing her hands together and turning to Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon.

"Come, let's get some fresh air while we wait," Master Qui-Gon said.

Alana nodded in agreement, and the group made their way down the hall to a balcony that overlooked Coruscant. Alana went immediately to the edge, feeling the wind brushing through her hair and she closed her eyes, taking in the sounds of the city below her.

"The boy will not pass the council's test, Master," Alana overheard Obi-Wan speak very quietly. "He's too old."

"Anakin will become a Jedi, I promise you," Qui-Gon said, much to Alana's relief.

"Do not defy the Council, Master, not again," Obi-Wan pleaded. 

"I shall do what I must, Obi-Wan," Qui-Gon replied, looking over to where Alana was leaning on the balcony, listening intently to their conversation. He made his way over to her while Obi-Wan continued to speak.

"If you would just follow the code, you would be on the Council," Obi-Wan added. "They will not go along with you this time."

"You still have much to learn, my young apprentice," Qui-Gon said, placing his hand on Obi-Wan's shoulder.

Obi-Wan looked over at Alana, who was staring out over the city now. She felt his gaze on her but did not return it. She felt anger bubbling up over the way Obi-Wan had no faith in Anakin.

"You don't know him," Alana said quietly. "Your age does not define your ability," she said. "You of all people should know, Obi-Wan," she looked over at Obi-Wan, who was frowning at her words. "You began your apprenticeship late, didn't you?"

"How did you know that?" Obi-Wan asked, turning and facing her, his arms crossed defensively across his chest.

"I spent a lot of time as a Padawan memorizing each Jedi so that what I encountered them, I would be better able to give counsel," Alana admitted. "That was part of my training under Master Windu."

"It will serve you well," Qui-Gon said. "Especially now that you are to continue your apprenticeship."

"I'm not sure if I'll want to proceed if Anakin is denied," Alana admitted, walking around the other two so that she could face into the sunset.

"You should," Obi-Wan replied. "You can still take care of him here even if he does not get trained."

Alana looked down at her hands and pursed her lips.

"I fully intend to train him myself, no matter what," Qui-Gon said, giving Alana reassurance.

They stood there for a little while longer until finally, the sun has set.

"Come, I believe they have finished," Qui-Gon suddenly said.

They made their way quickly back to the Council chambers and were let in. Alana came to stand beside her brother. She could see him shaking slightly, and she knew he was afraid of what the council would decide.

"The Force is strong with him," Master Ki-Adi-Mundi said.

"He is to be trained, then?" Alana asked.

"No," Master Windu said. "He will not be trained."

Alana felt her heart sink in her chest. She saw Anakin step back towards her, his back connecting with her front, and she placed her hands protectively on his shoulders.

"He is too old," Master Windu said.

"He is the chosen one. You must see it," Master Qui-Gon said, placing his hands on his hips.

"Hmm," Master Yoda spoke. "Clouded, this boy's future is."

"I will train him, then," Master Qui-Gon said.

Alana could feel Obi-Wan's shock as he looked up at his Master. It was impossible to take on two apprentices. What would happen to him?

"I take Anakin as my Padawan learner," Qui-Gon said to the Council.

"An apprentice you have, Qui-Gon," Master Yoda stated. "Impossible to take on a second."

"The code forbids it," Master Windu said.

"Obi-Wan is ready," Master Qui-Gon said.

"I am ready to face the trials," Obi-Wan said, stepping forward.

"Our own counsel we will keep on who is ready," Master Yoda said.

"He is headstrong, and he has much to learn of the living Force, but he is capable," Master Qui-Gon said. "There is little more he can learn from me."

"Young Skywalker's fate will be decided later," Master Yoda said.

"What?" Alana asked.

"Now is not the time for this," Master Windu said sternly, leaning forward in his seat. "The Senate is voting for a new supreme chancellor and Queen Amidala is returning home, which will put pressure on the Federation and could widen the confrontation."

"And draw out the queen's attacker," Master Ki-Adi-Mundi added.

"Master Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, go to Naboo and discover the identity of this dark warrior," Master Windu said. "This is the clue we need to unravel the mystery of the Sith."

"And what of me, Master? And Anakin? I will not take him home until the Council has decided, and I cannot continue my training until he is taken care of," Alana said.

"Hmm," Master Yoda said. "Go with them, you must."

"You will go with them as a test of your skills, and upon the completion of this mission, we will continue your training, My Padawan," Master Windu said. "As for Anakin, keep him close to you but out of the way."

"Yes, Master," Alana said, bowing.

"May the Force be with you," Master Yoda said, dismissing the group.

The group turned and left the chambers, making their way down from the Jedi temple and out to where a shuttle was waiting for them. As if he sensed his sister's distress, Anakin looked up to her.

"Don't worry about me, Lanie," he said.

Alana looked down at him and gave him a half-hearted smile.

"I know, but I do," she said as they stepped into the shuttle. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon took the front, speaking with each other quietly while Alana sat beside her brother, deep in thought.

They arrived at the landing dock where supplies were being loaded up onto the ship. As Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan went to check the inside of the ship, Alana found a place for Anakin to stand.

"Stay with the little R2 unit, alright?" Alana said quietly. She looked up just as Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan came down the ramp, bickering loudly over the fate of Anakin as they made their way to greet the Queen, who had just landed on the platform and was getting out of the shuttle.

"It's not disrespect, Master. It's the truth," Obi-Wan said.

"From your point of view," Master Qui-Gon responded.

"The boy is dangerous. They all sense it. Why can't you?" Obi-Wan retorted.

At his remark, Alana stood up in front of her brother, her hands on her hips. She was indignant at the way that Obi-Wan was talking about her brother.

"He is not dangerous," Alana almost spat. "The Council has not yet decided Anakin's future. It's not up to you," she said.

Even though Obi-Wan had gained her respect in the beginning for rescuing her, the more she spoke with him, the more she began to dislike how he acted around Anakin.

"Be silent, my young Padawans," Qui-Gon said, interrupting the two before the argument could go any further. "The Council will decide his future. That should be enough for you. Now, get on board. Both of you."

Alana looked down at her brother and then back to Obi-Wan. The two reluctantly followed Qui-Gon's orders and made their way back to the ship silently. Alana wanted to say more, but she held back her words, as she knew they were full of anger. As they approached the ramp, Alana took a deep breath and swallowed her pride.

"I'm sorry," she said.

Obi-Wan looked at her and nodded.

"As am I," he replied.

"I have been distracted. I simply don't wish Anakin to get hurt," she admitted, twiddling her thumbs as they stepped to the side of the ramp to allow the last of the boxes of supplies to be loaded.

"I understand, or at least, I think I do," Obi-Wan said. "He's your brother."

Alana looked to where her brother was speaking with Qui-Gon until the queen approached them. Anakin went and got the droid and followed behind Master Qui-Gon as they boarded the ship.

"I only hope that the Council decides in Anakin's favor," Alana said quietly.

Obi-Wan looked at the entourage as they boarded the ship, preparing to leave Coruscant. Master Qui-Gon passed them, with Jar-Jar, the R2 unit, and Anakin on his heels.

"I only hope that they decide what is right. And if that means Anakin is to be trained, then so be it," Obi-Wan said before turning and boarding the ship.

Alana took a last glance at the landscape of Coruscant before entering the ship behind him. As the door closed behind her, she only hoped that the time spent away from the Council would clear her mind.


	6. The Fight for Naboo

Onboard the ship, the trip back to Naboo was much quicker than the way to Coruscant. Alana made sure Anakin was safe with the pilots in the cockpit before changing into the Jedi robes that she had managed to get before they had loaded the ship. After changing into them, she made her way to the Queen's meeting room, where the others were already gathered.

She slipped into the room quietly and stood beside Obi-Wan as they were discussing the options for their arrival on Naboo.

"I can only protect you. I can't fight a war for you," Qui-Gon was saying, noting Alana's arrival.

"Jar-Jar Binks," the Queen said.

"Mesa, Your Highness?" He asked, stepping out from behind Obi-Wan. Alana noted the way Obi-Wan discreetly wrinkled his nose every time Jar-Jar spoke.

"Yes," the Queen said. "I need your help."

Alana raised an eyebrow at her request.

"Mesa be delighted to help yousa," Jar-Jar said, stepping forward.

"I need you to help us locate the Gungans. I hope to reach an agreement with them, so that we may get their help in our time of need," she said.

"That's a good idea, Your Highness," the Queen's head of security spoke. "The Gungans have an army that we could use."

"Then it is settled, we will go out of the way to meet with the Gungans instead of straight to the city center," the Queen said.

"Yes, Your Highness," Qui-Gon said, bowing.

"Now, let us prepare ourselves to reclaim our planet," the Queen said, standing and leaving the room with her handmaids surrounding her.

One-by-one the others began to leave the room. Alana found herself in step with Obi-Wan, yet again, both making their way up towards the cockpit. As they walked, Alana could tell that something was on his mind.

"What is it?" She asked.

"The last time I was here, I sensed something. A dark and elusive force," he said. "And now that we're back, I can sense it again, much stronger," he shook his head. "My Master reminded me to focus on the present, but it is getting difficult."

"I sense it too," Alana said, stopping in her tracks. "The moment that foul and dark creature landed on Tatooine, I could sense something was off. I just wasn't sure what it was."

"I think we will encounter it again," Obi-Wan said. "I hope you can remember your skills with a lightsaber."

"Those skills are not so easily forgotten, Obi-Wan," Alana said quietly. They stood there for another moment, contemplating what they might have to do when Alana finally shook herself out of it. "Come, Master Qui-Gon is right. We need to remain focused on the present. Too much thought clouds our judgment."

"Of course," Obi-Wan said. 

The pair continued on, reaching the cockpit just in time to come out of hyperspace. Alana took her brother out of the cockpit and prepared him for when they were to land. They made it down to the planet with very little disturbance. Once they landed, all the pilots and security gathered quickly in the main room and made their way down the ramp.

Jar-Jar and Obi-Wan went to the lake, while Qui-Gon scouted out the area on high alert. Alana went about organizing the men around the ship in order to better protect it. As she stood outside, keeping an eye on the area, she noticed Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan talking.

After some time, everyone got restless and began to descend from the ship, eager to get going. Alana made her way over to the other two Jedi and the head of security. Just as she arrived, Jar-Jar came up the banks of the swamp.

"Desa nobody dare," he said. "The Gungan city is deserted."

"Do you think they have been taken to the camps?" Obi-Wan asked, looking to Qui-Gon.

"More likely they were wiped out," the head of security said.

"Mesa no tink so," Jar-Jar said.

"Do you know where they are, Jar-Jar?" Alana asked.

"When in trouble, Gungans go to sacred place," Jar-Jar replied. Mesa show you. Come on, mesa show you!" He took off into the forest.

The group made their way quickly after Jar-Jar. The rest of the entourage fell into step behind them. Jar-Jar went first, with Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan following, and Alana and Anakin following behind him. As they were walking deeper into the forest, Alana began to sense that they were being watched.

"They're here," she whispered.

"I sense them too," Qui-Gon replied when suddenly, a group of Gungans jumped out of nowhere and stopped them.

"What yousa want?" One of them asked.

"Queen Amidala is here to see His Royal Highness," Jar-Jar spoke.

The Gungans seemed to contemplate it for a while before finally agreeing. They led them for some ways until finally, the group reached a clearing where none other than a giant figure was sitting on an old stone head. They were near a group of old temples.

"That's Boss Nass, the King of the Gungans," Obi-Wan whispered. He had slipped back to explain to her what was going on. Alana nodded, thanking him quietly for helping her to understand the situation better. 

"Your Honor, Queen Amidala of the Naboo," the Gungan announced.

Jar-Jar spoke and was about introduce the group when the Queen spoke.

"I am Queen Amidala of the Naboo. I come before you in peace."

"Ah, Naboo biggen. Yousa bringen da Mackineeks. Yousa all bombad," Boss Nass declared.

"We have searched you out because we wish to form an alliance," the Queen continued. Suddenly Padme stepped forward.

"Your Honor," she said.

"Whosa dis?" The Gungan said with obvious displeasure.

"I am Queen Amidala," she said.

Alana raised both of her eyebrows. She looked at Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan who exchanged a quick glance of surprise. Obi-Wan looked back at Alana, a small smile of surprise on his face. Alana shook her head just before he turned back around.

"This is my decoy," she said, turning to her handmaid, who was disguised as the Queen. "My protection, my loyal bodyguard. I'm sorry for my deception, but it was necessary to protect myself. Although we do not always agree, Your Honor, our two great societies have always lived in peace. The Trade Federation has destroyed all that we have worked so hard to build. If we do not act quickly, all will be lost forever. I ask you to help us," she said. She dropped to her knees and looked up at him. "No, I beg you to help us. We are your humble servants.

Alana admired the way that Padme had spoken, and as the others began to kneel, she too knelt down in front of the King of the Gungans. She only hoped that Padme's flattery would achieve the results they needed to gain a new ally.

"Our fate is in your hands," Padme said.

"Hmm," Boss Nass spoke. He was thinking, and he was taking a very long time to think. Alana could feel Anakin looking up at her impatiently, so she placed a hand on his shoulder. Suddenly, the King began to laugh. "Yousa no tinken yousa greater den da Gungans?" He began to click his tongue. "Mesa liken dis. Maybe wesa being friends," after this declaration, he began to blubber.

Alana laughed and smiled at his great proclamation and looked to see a smile etched on Anakin's face. They stood, and celebrated for a moment while Boss Nass and Queen Amidala began to work out a plan.

Meanwhile, some of the Naboo pilots and the head of security made their way into the city to scout out what the situation was. They aimed to rendezvous back at the edge of the forest before heading into the city to execute their plan.

The Gungans were going to be a diversion so that the group could get inside. Alana found herself perched up against a tree, looking out over the fields next to one of the speeders when she heard Anakin calling that the scouts had returned.

She approached the speeder where the Queen, Obi-Wan, and Qui-Gon were discussing the situation. Anakin met her and looked up at the group as they began to discuss.

"Almost everyone's in camps," the Captain said, having just returned. "A few hundred police and guards have formed an underground resistance movement. I brought back as many leaders as I could. The Federation Army is also much larger than we thought, and much stronger. Your Highness, this is a battle I do not think that we can win."

"The battle is a diversion," Padme said. "The Gungans must draw the droid army away from the cities. We can enter the city using the secret passages on the waterfall side," she motioned to a hologram that R2 had pulled up. "Once we get to the main entrance, Captain Panaka will create a diversion. Then we can enter the palace and capture the viceroy. Without the viceroy, they will be lost and confused. What do you think, Master Jedi?"

"The viceroy will be well guarded," Qui-Gon said.

"The difficulty is getting into the throne room," the Captain said. "Once we're inside, we shouldn't have a problem."

"There is a possibility, with this diversion, many Gungans will be killed," Qui-Gon said, turning to look at Boss Nass.

"Wesa ready to do our-san part," the Gungan replied, beating his chest.

"We have a plan which should immobilize the droid army," Padme continued. "We will send what pilots we have to know out the droid control ship orbiting the planet."

"A well-conceived plan," Qui-Gon stated. "However, there is great risk. The weapons on your fighters may not penetrate the shields."

"And there's an even bigger danger. If the viceroy escapes, Your Highness, he will return with another droid army."

"Well, that is why we must not fail to get the viceroy," Padme said. "Everything depends on it."

"It is decided then," Alana said. "We should not delay any more than we already have."

"I agree, come, let us be on our way," Padme said.

The group split, with the Gungans going in one direction and the Naboo heading in another. As the army began to mass together and head out, the Naboo split up and headed into the city. They made their way quietly through the secret passages of the city.

When they stopped to wait for the Captain to begin his diversion, Alana knelt down beside her brother.

"Ani, I need you to listen to me carefully," she said. "Once we're inside, you need to find a safe place to hide and stay there, alright?" She said.

Anakin nodded.

"Your sister is right," Qui-Gon said. "You'll be much safer if you are hidden well."

As she was standing, there was a blast that destroyed a droid ship. With that, the group quickly and quietly made their way across the courtyard and towards the main hangar.

Alana reached for her lightsaber and ignited it, she deflected a weapon blast away from her and back at a droid, taking it out. She sighed with relief, her skills seemed to have held up after 7 years of practice.

They made their way through a blast door and down a hallway when they came to the main hangar door. As the door swept open, the group moved forward, with the Jedi using their lightsabers to deflect the blasts. After a few seconds on intense fire, she realized her brother was still beside her.

"Ani, find cover," she said. Anakin looked up at her and nodded, following her instructions and diving behind a wall.

As the blasters were being fired from both sides, Alana focused on keeping herself alive. She could sense each blaster shot as it neared her, and she was able to deflect it. She pressed forward when she suddenly sensed a droid behind her.

Just as she turned to deflect a blaster shot, a blue lightsaber came in front of her and deflected it. Alana looked to see Obi-Wan looking at her, an eyebrow raised.

"Careful, Alana," he cautioned her.

"Thank you," she replied before turning and slicing through another droid. She didn't want to focus on what would have happened if he hadn't been there.

"Quick, pilots, to your ships!" Padme called. 

The pilots began to get on their ships and take off. With all the commotion, it was a battle of ducking and fighting to avoid the droids and the ships simultaneously.

After a few more moments of fighting, the battle broids in the room had all been taken care of. Alana searched the room to make sure her brother was safe while Padme ordered the group to take off towards the throne room. When she spotted him, she sighed in relief. The group was heading out of the hangar, and she watched as he stood.

"Hey, wait for me," he said.

"No, Anakin, you'll be safer here," Qui-Gon said.

"But I-" Anakin began.

"Stay in the cockpit," Alana warned him.

Anakin frowned and sat back in his seat. Satisfied that he was going to be okay, Alana followed beside Obi-Wan and behind Master Qui-Gon as they headed towards the door. Almost as soon as they arrived, the doors slid open to reveal the Sith lord that they had encountered on Tatooine.

"We'll handle this," Qui-Gon said, his voice getting serious.

"We'll take the long way," Padme said, leading the group away.

The Sith removed his cloak to reveal his face while the Jedi removed their robes and ignited their lightsabers. Just as they had done so, Alana saw droidekas rolling into the hangar bay. She turned for a second to realize they were aiming for Padme and the group. They would have to handle them on their own. She turned back to see the Sith was holding a dual-sided lightsaber, easy to use against multiple opponents. 

As they began their attack on the Sith, Alana could sense Anakin's thoughts, and for just a moment, she turned away from the fight to see her brother had taken out the droidekas and was heading out into the open. During that momentary distraction, she got knocked to the side. The kick from the Sith knocked her to the ground, the wind knocked out of her, she struggled back up and raced after them. The Sith was backing up into a door, which he opened, using the Force. He then raced back into where all of the generators and main operation for Naboo was. It would help him gain distance from his Jedi attackers.

Alana used her lightsaber and hit the Sith's, dodging a strike to her ankles. She felt Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan beside her, and she realized that they had the Sith cornered. In front of him were the 3 Jedi and behind him was a large drop into the darkness below. They stood there for a second before Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon faked a move, allowing for Alana to go fro the Sith's legs. He jumped back onto another bridge and looked over menacingly, daring them to follow.

Alana growled quietly and went to jump across, but Qui-Gon stopped her.

"There's a better way," he said, and the three raced around to the bridge. They soon placed the Sith back in the middle, being forced to fight between Obi-Wan on one side and Qui-Gon and Alana on the other.

Suddenly, the Sith managed to kick Obi-Wan down and he fell down a few bridges, just barely able to catch himself. Alana only prayed he would be able to make it back to the fight. Qui-Gon managed to send the Sith down one level, allowing Alana to pounce, but the Sith was able to hop up just in time and counter her lightsaber.

Qui-Gon jumped down beside her and they both pressed their attack towards a field of red ray shields. They fought him all the way down and pushed through the first five ray shields before one blocked them from the Sith lord.

Alana clenched her jaw and looked behind her to see Obi-Wan slide right up to one of the ray shields. He would never make it to them in time. She turned back to see that Qui-Gon was kneeling. He was preparing himself mentally for the fight ahead, while the Sith was pacing back and forth. Alana found herself bouncing on her heels.

"Patience, young Padawan. Recenter yourself," Qui-Gon cautioned her.

Alana took a deep breath and stilled herself. They waited for a few moments before Alana reignited her lightsaber and the rays powered down. Qui-Gon and her both launched an attack. Alana went down and Qui-Gon went up and pressed their attack. But it seemed that his attacks had gotten fiercer. Suddenly, the Sith pushed Qui-Gon down and turned on Alana. She fought him desperately, but suddenly, his lightsaber came down across her face, just hitting her ear, causing her to cry out in pain. He managed to kick her down, causing her to hit her face and drop her lightsaber. While Alana reached for her lightsaber and tried to ignore the blood coming down from her ear, Qui-Gon continued his attack.

Just as Alana stood, the Sith got the upper hand and knocked Qui-Gon's lightsaber back and struck hid right in the chest, slicing him and knocking him down in one swift death blow. Alana gasped, anger bubbling inside her as she watched Master Qui-Gon fall to the ground, gasping in pain.

"No!" She heard Obi-Wan shout. It was a loud, aching yell.

Alana began a frenzied attack, her lack of training beginning to show, and the Sith gained the upper hand, but this time, instead of slicing through her, he began to Force choke her, lifting her up into the air and causing her to drop her lightsaber.

She reached to her neck, trying to get it to stop when black spots began to cloud her vision. He dropped her back to the ground, where she hit her head and lost her sight for a few moments. She could sense him above her, but she couldn't see her attacker.

She brought her hand above her face, ready for the final blow when suddenly the ray field turned off and Obi-Wan raced to protect her. She could hear his blows coming into contact with the Sith lord's lightsaber, and she heard something clatter to the ground. The battle moved away from her, and she reached around blindly for her lightsaber, willing it to come to her. She managed to grab onto her lightsaber and continued to lay there silently, praying her sight would come back and that the wave of dizziness that was confusing her would stop so she could continue with the fight. As her sight came back to her slowly, she watched as Obi-Wan dropped his lightsaber and went tumbling into the large pit.

"No!" She cried, struggling to stand up. The Sith seemed to sneer at her and pushed her back using the Force before turning back to the pit. Alana fell back to the ground, her eyesight allowing her to see that something was occupying the Sith's attention. Obi-Wan must have caught onto something. She only hoped he could hold on for a little while longer. The Sith kicked Obi-Wan's lightsaber off the edge, and Alana could hear faint clattering as it went down.

Alana heard Obi-Wan breathing heavily as the Sith began to use his lightsaber to send sparks, trying to get Obi-Wan to lose his grip on whatever he was grabbing on to. That's when Alana managed to stand, ignoring the dizziness that she had, and she stumbled towards the Sith. That was just enough to distract him. He turned to face Alana, when Obi-Wan sprang forward, calling Qui-Gon's lightsaber to him, and using it to slice through the Sith and send him down the pit.

Alana stumbled slightly and began to fall back to the ground, near the wall, but Obi-Wan caught her and lay her down on the ground.

"I'm fine," she muttered weakly. "Go to Qui-Gon."

Obi-Wan set her down gently before racing over to his Master. Alana lay there, listening to Master Qui-Gon's heavy breaths.

"It's too late," he gasped.

"No," Obi-Wan's heart-wrenching word tore through Alana. She lay there, unable to move, unable to think, only waiting until Qui-Gon would breathe his last breath.

"Promise-" Qui-Gon said. "Promise me you will train the boy," he gasped.

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan said, holding Qui-Gon in his arms.

"He is the chosen one," Qui-Gon said. "He will bring balance. Train him."

Alana could hear as his breathing stopped, and his presence vanish from the Force, leaving a hole where he once stood. Alana heard Obi-Wan's sobs, and she too felt a tear fall from her face. She managed to drag herself up and prop herself up on the wall as her vision cleared more, but she knew she must have gotten a concussion from the fighting. She bit her lip and wiped a stray tear from her face as she saw Obi-Wan clutching on tightly to his Master's dead body, the body of a man who was like a father to him. She let him mourn for a few more minutes when she finally spoke.

"We should move on and see if they need our help, Obi-Wan," she spoke softly.

"We can't just leave him," Obi-Wan said, looking up at her.

"Let me stay with him, then," Alana said. "I'm too weak to fight. I won't be able to help anyone, but you should go."

Obi-Wan looked at her, quickly wiping the tears from his eyes as he looked down at his Master. Alana knew he was torn between staying with his Master and returning to the fight outside.

"He died honorably, Obi-Wan," Alana said gently. "I will stay here, I promise he will not be alone."

"You need medical care," Obi-Wan said, placing Qui-Gon's body down on the floor and standing. "We need to get you out of here." He looked down at his Master's body. "Let us give him some peace until this fight is over."

Alana bit her lip as Obi-Wan approached her and extended his hand to help her up. She took it and was quickly hoisted up, her arm wrapped around his neck and shoulders. They made their way out of the chamber, getting stopped a few times by the red laser fields. Alana stumbled beside Obi-Wan, using him to guide and support her through the dangerous labyrinth of bridges and passages. Finally, they made it out and into the hangar just in time to watch as the ships were returning from space. They landed in the hangar, with Alana watching as her own brother came into the hangar in his ship. As he hopped out of his ship, the others began to cheer for him.

"It appears we may have won the battle," Alana said quietly. "But not without great cost," she added, looking to Obi-Wan. At that moment, the people of Naboo began to enter the hangar, with medics in tow.

Obi-Wan set Alana down and waved over one of the medics. The medic knelt down beside her and Alana took a deep breath, letting her lightsaber fall to her side. She saw Obi-Wan leaning over her, a face full of concern, but his mind and heart were elsewhere.

"Go," she said. "I'll be alright now. You need your Master now more than me. And he needs you," she said, taking his hand in hers and giving it a light squeeze. "Go."

Obi-Wan bowed and turned, instructing a few men to follow him to go and get Master Qui-Gon's body. With that in me, Alana took a deep breath and finally relaxed her body, allowing the pain that she had been repressing to fill her body, and she passed out.


	7. A New Dawn

Alana woke up to find herself in one of the medical posts. She looked around her to see a few others also laying down, surrounded by friends and family when she saw her brother sitting beside her.

"Lanie!" He exclaimed. "You're awake!"

"Hey there, Ani," she said softly, sitting up gingerly, a slight throbbing still echoing in her head. Anakin pounced on the bed beside her.

"Did you hear what happened?" Anakin asked loudly, causing Alana to flinch. "We won!" He said a bit quieter so that he didn't hurt Alana.

"Yes, I did," she said. "I also remember telling you to stay put, but you found yourself in the middle of all the action."

"Sorry," Anakin said. "But I destroyed the droid command center!"

"You did?" Alana asked. "Well, I suppose that's a good thing, now."

"Mister Obi-Wan told me that Master Qui-Gon didn't survive the battle," Anakin suddenly said, his face turning sad.

"No, Ani, I'm afraid he didn't," Alana said, holding her arms out so that she could hold her brother near. "Never forget him. He had helped us both so much."

"I know," Anakin said quietly. "I'm tired," he said. "Mister Obi-Wan said that he needed to speak with some of the other Jedi when they arrive, but that he will come and show us where we're going to sleep tonight."

"Why don't we just go find him ourselves?" Alana said before looking up at one of the medics and waving them over. "I find myself feeling much better," she said. The medic looked at her skeptically before noting the lightsaber beside her bed.

"Oh, yes, Master Jedi," the medic said before giving Alana a couple of pills to take and sending her on her way.

"Perks of having a lightsaber, Ani," Alana said, standing and making her way out of the medical wing of the palace. Many people were milling about, looking for their loved ones. Alana and Anakin made their way towards the innermost part of the palace, with Alana showing her lightsaber to pass through the guard checkpoints.

They arrived just in time to see Obi-Wan speaking with the queen. He looked up as Alana entered and excused himself to greet them.

"Come, the day is not nearly over yet," he said, ushering them out. "Chancellor Palpatine is arriving with most of the Jedi Council in an hour."

"What would you have us do?" Alana asked.

"We need to go out and meet them," he replied.

They made their way out of the palace and down to the landing platforms of Naboo, where a group of guards was beginning to line up. It took nearly an hour before everything was ready and the Queen was also out on the platform to greet the Chancellor.

As the ship landed, Chancellor Palpatine descended and greeted Obi-Wan, Alana, and Anakin. Alana watched out of the corner of her eye as two Trade Federation leaders were escorted away and onto a ship.

"We are indebted to you, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Alana Skywalker. And you, young Skywalker. I shall watch your career with great interest," he said, patting Ani on the head before the trio stepped aside so that the Chancellor could greet the Queen.

Alana saw the Jedi Masters approaching, and she bowed to them, seeing her Master among them. They paused for a moment before speaking with Obi-Wan and Alana.

"You have done well, Padawans. We suffered a great loss, but know that it was not in vain," Master Plo spoke.

Alana and Obi-Wan nodded. Suddenly, one of the Queen's handmaids appeared.

"I'm here to escort Anakin to his chambers as you wished, Master Jedi," she said. Anakin looked up to Alana, who raised an eyebrow.

"Go, then," she said quietly, watching as her brother scampered off, leaving the two of them to speak with the Council members.

"Come, Obi-Wan, much to discuss, have we," Master Yoda said, turning and leaning on his cane and making his way towards the palace. Obi-Wan followed him, giving Alana a fleeting glance before walking away.

"Come, my young Padawan, you and I have much to discuss also," Master Windu said.

"Yes, Master," Alana said as the two of them headed in a different direction, towards the gardens of the palace. Alana was glad that he had chosen to remain outside, as the palace now seemed cold and uninviting after Qui-Gon's death.

"You did well today, Alana," Master Windu spoke finally. "Obi-Wan told me of your fight, and your willingness to remain with Master Qui-Gon so that he could return to the battle."

"Thank you, Master," Alana replied, easily falling into step with him as she had once done all those years ago.

"You are still troubled," Master Windu said.

"There are a few things that are clouding my mind," Alana admitted, looking up at Master Windu.

"Tell them to me, and perhaps I can ease your mind," he replied.

Alana looked down at her hands before looking over the landscape of the gardens. They were beautiful and untouched by the battle on Naboo.

"The first is my brother. Has the Council decided what to do?"

"Yes, your brother is to be trained," Master Windu said. "Obi-Wan is to become a Jedi Knight, and your brother his apprentice, should he accept."

Alana felt a weight fall off her chest. She hadn't realized how much her brother and what would happen to him after Qui-Gon's death plagued her mind.

"And the second?"

"I am worried about Obi-Wan," Alana said. "Losing one's master is not easy."

"Do not worry or fear, Alana. You must remain level-headed about all of this. Obi-Wan will be just fine. A Jedi must always be prepared to let their friends go," Master Windu replied.

The two continued for a few moments in peaceful silence before Alana spoke again.

"I hope that you can forgive me for the way I treated you at our meeting two years ago. I was still angry, and it was easy to lay blame on you, even though I was wrong."

Master Windu stopped, and Alana turned and faced him.

"I am sorry I failed you, Lanie," he said, using Alana's nickname. He only did this when he wanted her to understand something important. "I never forgot you, my young Padawan, and I am glad to have you back."

"Thank you, Master. All is forgiven," Alana said.

Master Windu cracked a faint smile before it vanished again under his stern face.

"Come, we should be getting back. The sun is setting and we have a Jedi burial to complete," Master Windu said, heading back in the direction of the palace, with Alana a few steps behind him.

They arrived at the palace and made their way to where the pyre was where Qui-Gon's body was to be burned so that he could be one with the Force yet again. A proper funeral for an honorable Jedi. People began to file in slowly to pay their respects to the Jedi, and Alana found herself beside Obi-Wan, with her brother behind her.

The pyre was soon lit, the silence and the crackling of the flames filling the air. Alana could almost hear the questions that Anakin had for both of them and she watched as Obi-Wan began to sense the same and turned to look at Anakin.

"What will happen to me now?" Anakin asked them quietly, his eyes flickering back and forth between the two. Alana looked to Obi-Wan, wanting him to inform Anakin of his new apprenticeship.

"The Council has granted me permission to train you," Obi-Wan said. "You will be a Jedi, I promise."

Anakin seemed to find slight comfort in this answer, and Alana turned back to the flames. They stood there for some time until the flames began to flicker out, and slowly people began to leave.

Obi-Wan, Alana, and Anakin were the last ones there as someone came to collect the ashes from the fire. Alana took Anakin's hand and helped him down from where he was standing and the three of them made their way out of the room. It had grown dark, with most people having retired to their chambers.

"Let me show you where you'll be staying," Obi-Wan said.

They made their way into the palace and towards the vast number of hallways that contained bedrooms and chambers for much of the staff and visitors. First, Obi-Wan showed Anakin to his quarters.

"Here you are, Anakin," he said, stopping outside the door. "Tomorrow morning, someone will come by to cut your hair and give you some new clothes as you begin your apprenticeship. For now, get some rest, and I will see you in the morning."

"Yes, sir," Anakin said. "Where will you two be?"

"My room is next to yours, Anakin, right there," Obi-Wan pointed to a door to the right. Anakin peered over to see where he was pointing. "And your sister is down the hall."

"Okay," Anakin said, opening the door and looking inside.

"Do you want me to come in?" Alana asked gently.

"No, I'm okay," Anakin said a bit hesitantly, looking back up at Alana.

"Alright, then, Ani," Alana said, giving her brother a quick hug. "I'll see you in the morning, alright?"

"Okay! Goodnight!" He exclaimed before entering the room and shutting the door quietly behind him.

Alana shook her head and smiled, turning to follow Obi-Wan to her bedroom for the evening.

"He's going to fall right asleep," she said.

"He's had a long day," Obi-Wan replied. "As we all have."

"Are you alright?" Alana suddenly asked, causing Obi-Wan to stumble a bit in his steps.

"I suppose," he said. He looked over at Alana to see her raising an eyebrow in his direction. "My mind keeps replaying what I could have done differently in the fight."

"That's no way to think, Obi-Wan. What's done is done," Alana chided him. "You fought well today, and you did manage to save me, I might add."

"You're right," Obi-Wan said sheepishly, stopping. They had reached her door. "Here you are," he said, stepping aside so that she could enter the room.

Alana went to go in when she paused and took Obi-Wan's hand.

"Do not blame yourself," she said, almost sensing the thoughts that were currently running through his head. She held it for a moment before dropping it and looking down. "Goodnight, Obi-Wan," she whispered when he did something unexpected. He hugged her. His arms wrapped around her, and he squeezed lightly before pulling away.

"Goodnight," he said before turning and walking away, back down the hall, leaving Alana out in the hallway for a moment.

She shook her head and entered her room quietly. She turned on the lights and took in the room. There was a large bed on one side of the room, with a nightstand and a bench in front of it. On top of the bench, Alana saw a few things laying out for her. One was a pale green nightgown and a shawl, there were some essentials, and she even had a new Jedi robe and clean outfit for her. She looked around and spotted the door to the bathroom, and she made her way to it, eager to get clean.

She took a long shower, letting the warm water run down her face and clean her skin until it was smooth and soft. She had unbraided her long black hair, wanting to clean it as best as she could. After her time in the shower, she put on the nightgown. It was beautiful, and perfect to sleep in. She made her way into the bed, and shut her eyes, willing herself to finally fall asleep.

But sleep would not come. She tossed and turned in her bed. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Qui-Gon dying, his body laying on the ground. She remembered seeing Obi-Wan crouched above him, trying to hold back his tears. She remembered seeing Obi-Wan fall from the bridge and into the large hole.

Alana suddenly sensed Obi-Wan was suddenly awake and in pain, and she stood from her bed and wrapped a white shawl around her arms and left her room, silently making her way down the hall to Obi-Wan's room in the palace. Before she could even knock on the door, it swung open and Obi-Wan appeared, distressed. His forehead and chest were covered in sweat as if he had just woken up from a nightmare. He looked down at Alana and took her hand, pulling her into the room quickly, shutting the door behind her. He scanned Alana, noting her unbraided hair curling softly down her shoulders and back. Her shawl wrapped around her body, hiding her low cut, backless nightgown.

"You can't sleep either?" He asked, quickly putting on a shirt to cover his chest.

"I haven't even gone to sleep. Every time I close my eyes-" she trailed off, looking down at her bare feet, tears beginning to cloud her vision. Suddenly she felt arms around her waist, holding her protectively, and she pressed her head into his chest, tears beginning to fall. 

Alana took a deep breath and wiped her tears away. She had barely known Qui-Gon, but the way he had looked out for Anakin, the way that he had genuinely cared for her meant a lot to Alana, who had only ever experienced true kindness from her own family.

"He was like a father to me. He meant the world to me, Lanie," he whispered, taking her hand in his. 

"I know," she whispered. Alana closed her eyes, letting his warmth and the sound of his breathing calm her. They both seemed to calm quickly with the presence of the other. Alana basked in that moment before looking up at him.

"I should go back to my room and try to sleep. You should try to get some sleep," she said, turning to go, dropping Obi-Wan's hand.

"Wait, no. Don't go. Stay here, with me," Obi-Wan suddenly said, pulling her close. Alana bit her lip and nodded as they both went over to the large bed. He laid down beneath the covers and motioned for her to join him, which she did immediately. She rested her head on his chest, letting him wrap his arm tightly around her. Within minutes, the comfort of having each other nearby let the two of them finally drift off into sleep.

Alana woke the next morning, her eyes fluttering open to the light shining through the windows. She blinked a few times before realizing she was still holding onto Obi-Wan's shirt, her head still resting on his chest. She shifted her head just a little bit, glancing around the room.

"Good morning," Obi-Wan's voice caused Alana to look up. His eyes gazed down thoughtfully into hers, causing Alana to blush and sit up. The warmth of the sun caused her to remove her shawl as she stood from the bed. Her nightgown was a pale green. As she turned, Obi-Wan could see her back.

"How long have you been up?" She asked, going over to the windows, looking out over the palace gardens.

"A half-hour, perhaps a little longer," Obi-Wan said, shrugging and coming to stand behind her. He placed a hand on her back, causing shivers to run down Alana's spine. "I didn't want to wake you. You looked so peaceful."

"You should have woken me up," she said, turning to face him. As she turned, he pulled her closer to him. She suddenly realized his braid was still dangling from his hair and she brushed it with her fingers. "You should cut that, now that you're a Jedi Knight," she said. Obi-Wan nodded and smiled at her.

"And now you have one to braid," he said, brushing the hair away from her face. He looked down at her, scanning her face. Her eyes were sparkling with hope as the loss of her father began to fade. A faint smile was visible on her face as she looked up at Obi-Wan.

"I should go back to my room," she finally said,

Obi-Wan sighed. She was right. A moment like this, like the night before was dangerous. He barely knew her, and already he was beginning to form an attachment to her.

"You're right," he said, stepping back from her. "Thank you for staying, last night."

"Of course," she replied quietly, unable to meet his gaze. "I was able to sleep then."

Obi-Wan smiled softly as they made their way to the door.

"I'll see you at the ceremony, then," she said before turning and leaving the room, leaving Obi-Wan alone with his thoughts. She went back to her room and closed the door behind her. She rested her head on the door, shaking her head. 

"Why did you spend the night?" She hissed at herself.

She had only just been allowed back into the Jedi Order, and she found herself looking to find someone to lean on as she had her mother. She took a deep breath and took a moment to push her thoughts away so that she could better prepare for the ceremony.

She readied herself for the ceremony between the Gungans and the Naboo. She braided her hair back into a low braided crown at the nape of her neck, leaving a piece out to form her new Padawan braid.

After dressing in her robes, she left her chambers and encountered Anakin wandering the hallway dressed in his new Jedi robes. He looked a bit ridiculous as they were fitting improperly, so she called to him.

"Ani! What are you doing? Shouldn't you be with Obi-Wan?" She asked. He nodded but cringed a bit looking around the palace awkwardly. She approached him and knelt, beginning to adjust his robes as he gawked at the ceiling.

"Yeah but this place is so big, I can't find his room!" He exclaimed, his child-like eyes growing large as he looked around. Alana rolled her eyes but laughed.

"Your room was right beside Obi-Wan's! My goodness do-" she was cut off by footsteps and the sound of Obi-Wan's voice behind her.

"There you are, Anakin. You haven't even gotten yourself ready for the ceremony! Come-" he trailed off when Alana stood and faced him. "Alana," he said, bowing. 

"Hello, Obi-Wan," she replied, also bowing. It seemed as though they both were pushing back what had happened the night before, and Alana gave him a small smile before turning back to Anakin.

"Ani, here, why don't you go with Obi-Wan. You still have to make sure your robes fit properly," she said, rubbing his now-short hair. She kissed the top of his head, taking note of the braid that he had begun to sport in order to show his place as a Padawan. She turned to go, but she turned back to Anakin. "And Ani, don't you get lost again, okay? Promise?" She asked.

Anakin nodded and watched as she turned and walked away towards the area where the ceremony was to be held.

Alana saw people lining the streets to allow the Gungans to parade through the Naboo city. More and more important people began to join her on the platform as the music began to play, announcing the arrival of the Gungans. Alana turned and watched as Anakin and Obi-Wan quickly made their way up beside Alana to watch the processional.

"What took you so long?" Alana asked.

"Anakin got us lost, again," Obi-Wan said, shaking his head and fighting off a laugh.

Alana smiled and turned back to the processional. It took a few minutes for the Gungans to make it to the platform where the Naboo were waiting. Boss Nass and his two generals made their way up the platform to accept Queen Amidala's peace offering as the whole city celebrated in light of their success.

Alana looked out over the people and couldn't help but smile. It had been a long journey to get here, but at that moment she knew that she was exactly where she was meant to be, her brother and his Master at her side, and her Master near her too.

She couldn't wait to see what the future would hold for the Skywalkers.


	8. Normalcy

"Here, my dear," a voice shook Alana out of her readings. She was in the Jedi archives room on Coruscant, studying the names and faces of each Jedi in the Order, or at least the new Jedi.

She looked up to see the Librarian, Master Jocasta with an armload of more personnel files. Seeing this, Alana let out a big sigh. While Master Windu had told her that she didn't have to memorize each one, he had told her that he had memorized them all when he had been a Padawan.

Not wanting to let him down, she spent her free time deep in the Jedi archives, reviewing the files.

"Thank you, Master Jocasta," Alana said, looking over at the stack of about thirty personnel files that she had finished memorizing.

"Oh you're quite welcome," Master Jocasta replied, taking the finished stack. "You're by far one of the students I see the most, here, and I enjoy your company."

"As much as I enjoy yours, sometimes I wonder what I'm doing all of this for," Alana said. It had been almost two years since her last mission, and that had been the fight on Naboo. She didn't even want to count it. Now, she just spent hours training and meditating and all her free time in the Jedi archive, so the days went by painfully slowly.

"Oh, Alana, do not be discouraged. This is teaching you many things," Master Jocasta responded, giving her a light smile.

"Like what, Master?"

"Patience, understanding, compassion, and you're learning new strategies, and you're gaining new knowledge," Master Jocasta said.

Alana pursed her lips and looked down at the file in her hands. It was for a youngling who has just been brought to the temple, the name of Ahsoka Tano. She then thought of her own brother, who she had rarely seen since he had begun his training. They had last spoken four months earlier over holograph communication, but there had been nothing since.

"Perhaps you should take a break," Master Jocasta said. "I heard that your brother was to return today with Obi-Wan Kenobi," she said, sensing Alana's thoughts.

"Really?" Alana stood abruptly, startling Master Jocasta.

"I think you'll find them on their way to the Council right now."

"Thank you, Master!" Alana said, beginning to make her way out of the archives. "Oh, and you can keep these files out, I'll be back before you know it."

"Of course," Master Jocasta said with a kind smile.

Alana turned to go and had made it to the doorway when she frowned and turned to Master Jocasta.

"Master, how did you know that Obi-Wan and Anakin would be on their way to the Council?"

"Over time, you begin to notice trends in the databases of what each Jedi does when they return from their posts. Master Yoda meditates, Obi-Wan goes to the Council, and most of the Younglings and Padawans head straight for the refectory as soon as their Masters dismiss them," Master Jocasta said.

Alana raised an eyebrow.

"You learned all of that through the files?"

"Yes, Alana, I did," Master Jocasta said. "Now go see your brother, my dear. I would not keep him waiting."

Alana bowed and made her way out of the room and towards the tower where the Council was located. She made her way up the elevator and towards the Council chambers. When the doors opened, Alana made her way down the hall and spotted her brother sitting on one of the benches outside the Council room.

He was taller than he used to be. A year away from his family had made him wiser. He sensed Alana’s presence and looked up quickly, scanning the hall for his sister. When he spotted her, he stood and smiled, waving his hand.

When Alana finally reached him, he hugged her tightly and didn’t let go for a few moments.

“Hi, Ani,” she said once he finally pulled away. “It’s good to see you again.”

“It’s good to see you too,” Anakin replied. “Master Obi-Wan is in with the Council right now, but I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you too!”

“Of course,” Alana said, going and sitting down back on the bench with him. “It’s been a long time since we’ve seen each other face-to-face.”

“I’m sorry we haven’t been able to contact you lately,” Anakin said. “Master Obi-Wan has been teaching me about survival on planets when your communication is lost. We spent a lot of time meditating, which I didn’t really like, but it was cool otherwise!”

“Wow, Ani,” Alana said. “You seem to be learning a lot.”

“He is.”

Alana looked up to see a familiar face. It was Obi-Wan, standing just outside the Council room doors.

“It’s good to see you, Obi-Wan,” she said, standing and bowing. Obi-Wan had grown out his hair and was now sprouting a small beard, like the way Qui-Gon had once looked.

“And you, Alana,” he replied. “I trust that you are progressing in your studies?” He asked.

“Well, I hope so,” Alana said, trying to disguise her disappointment. “I spend most of my time in meditation or at the Jedi archive. I suppose I’ve been learning a great deal of patience.”

Obi-Wan gave her a sympathetic look.

“And I’m sure your patience will be well rewarded,” he replied.

“I can only hope that is the truth.”

Obi-Wan turned to Anakin and spoke. “We will be staying here on Coruscant for the time being. Take the rest of the day to rest and meditate, my young Padawan. We will start your training again in the morning,” Obi-Wan said.

“Yes, Master. I’m going to be in the refectory,” Anakin replied, turning to race off down the hall. He froze before he got very far and looked back at Alana. “Aren’t you coming?” He asked.

“I’ll be along in a moment, Ani,” she replied.

Anakin nodded and raced away, leaving Alana alone in the hall with Obi-Wan. She looked up at him and smiled lightly as they began to slowly make their way down the hall.

“You look tired. I trust my brother has not worn you down too terribly much.”

“It has been a long few months. Teaching a Padawan how to survive is challenging enough, and Anakin,” he trailed off. “Well, Anakin is Anakin.”

“I understand,” Alana laughed lightly. “I hope that being back on Coruscant helps to slow Anakin down a bit. If you’re ever wanting to teach him about silence and thought, I find myself down in the Jedi archives often. I’m sure Master Jocasta has droplets of wisdom to share with him.”

“I will consider it,” Obi-Wan said.

Just as they were about to round the corner out of sight of the Council room, a voice called to them.

“Alana,” it was Master Windu.

Alana turned and looked to see her Master beckoning to her.

“Another time, then, Obi-Wan,” Alana said, bowing to him. “It’s good to have you back.”

“It’s good to be back,” Obi-Wan bowed.

He watched as she made her way away from him and towards where Master Windu stood, watching his Padawan carefully.

“Yes, Master?” Alana asked as she finally reached the doors.

“I was hoping to find you,” he said. “The Council has just been dismissed, and I was looking to get you started on some new training.”

“And what would that be, Master?” Alana asked as they moved in the opposite direction that Obi-Wan and Anakin had gone in.

“I would like you to begin attending the Youngling training classes with Master Yoda,” Master Windu said.

Alana could feel her heart sink. She had hoped to get off of Coruscant, but it did not appear that that would come anytime soon. Sensing this, Master Windu spoke sternly.

“Clear your mind, Alana,” he said. “You let yourself be disappointed too often. I understand that you wish to be elsewhere in the galaxy, but right now your presence is required here.”

“I try, Master,” Alana began. “But I remember my training when I was much younger, and I always seemed to be going off to other planets and getting involved with all kinds of peacekeeping missions. Now all I do is sit in my chair, meditating, or I practice my lightsaber dueling in the training room.”

After speaking, she realized that she had gone on too long, and she took a deep breath and cleared her mind. “I’m sorry, Master. I should not have spoken out like that.” Master Windu knew that she meant it, and he sighed, trying to find some way to see that his Padawan was not discouraged.

“I will have you know that the Council has begun to discuss your training,” he said. “Master Jocasta came and spoke on your behalf a few days ago, saying that you were trying to memorize every Jedi personnel file,” he looked over at his Padawan. “I am very pleased with that.”

Alana smiled at Master Windu’s words of praise. They came few and far between, so when he did praise her, she accepted them graciously.

“Thank you, Master,” she said as they arrived at the elevator and stepped in. He pressed two different buttons, one to the refectory for her and one for the Jedi archive for him.

“Now, I understand that you have been hard at work lately. Take the rest of the afternoon off and rest. We will begin your training, as usual, tomorrow morning.”

“Thank you, Master,” Alana said as the elevator stopped on her floor. She bowed to her Master and stepped out. She made her way to the refectory, thinking of her new assignment when she noticed her brother had taken a seat with a few of the younger Padawans and was busy chatting away with them.

He hadn’t had many friends on Tatooine, so it was good to see him getting along well with other Jedi his age. He noticed his sister when she walked in and waved her over.

She approached, and Anakin looked around for a place for her to sit, but she shook her head gently.

“Speak with your friends, Anakin, we’ll catch up later this afternoon.”

Anakin nodded and turned back to his friends, diving right back into the conversation. There were a few Padawans who chose to eat with their Masters, but they were some of the youngest ones, still needing to learn restraint in large settings.

Alana collected her food and made way to where she had spotted a few Jedi Knights. The group consisted of Luminara Unduli, Aayla Secura, Pablo-Jill, and Bultar Swan. Most of them had trained with her when they had been Younglings, but due to Alana’s departure, she had fallen behind and was the only one who was not yet a Knight.

“Hello there, Skywalker,” Pablo-Jill greeted her.

The group made room for her to sit, and she looked around at them.

“Where’s Shaak Ti?” She asked, mentioning her closest friend, and one of the regular members of their lunch gathering whenever they were around.

“She was called away,” Luminara said. “An accident on Jakku. The Council said they needed a few Jedi to go and keep the peace.”

Alana sighed and nodded, picking at her food.

“What is it, Alana?” Aayla asked.

“She only just got back. You all are going around the galaxy on important missions while I’m stuck watching the Younglings training classes,” Alana moaned, setting her fork down harshly on her plate.

“Alana!” Luminara exclaimed, surprised by her friend’s harsh words. Pablo-Jill and Bultar exchanged glances. Since returning to Coruscant, Alana had been known as a poised and reserved Padawan, only ever speaking out when it came to defending her brother or speaking her mind about something she knew much about.

“I’m sorry, I just wish I had kept up with my training so that I would be on to better things,” she said.

“Alana,” Aayla said. “Watching the Younglings and teaching them ourselves was part of the last step of our training.”

Alana looked up in surprise. Her friends were all nodding in seriousness.

“I haven’t even left Coruscant in two years,” Alana said, pursing her lips. “How am I to gain experience out negotiating and working when I have no experience?”

“You forget that you spent seven years away from Coruscant,” Bultar spoke up. “Perhaps the Council feels that you have learned much from your time away.”

There was silence at the table as Alana thought over her companions’ comments. She began to eat slowly, and normal conversation resumed. They chatted about old and new assignments and potential Padawans.

“There is a Youngling I read of recently, Barriss Offee,” Alana spoke. “She’s young, around ten, but she reminds me of you, Luminara. She has some time yet before becoming a Padawan, but you should consider it.”

“Interesting,” Luminara said. “Thank you, Alana.”

“Of course.”

Alana spent the rest of the lunch listening to her companions’ light conversation, enjoying the fellowship. All too soon, it was over, and they were each heading their separate way to conduct their own training or to report to their duty station.

Alana had the rest of the afternoon and evening off, so she found herself wandering over to Anakin’s table and setting off with him. They made their way out of the refectory and in the direction of Anakin’s room, Anakin rambling on about his friends.

“When will you become a Jedi Knight?” Anakin suddenly asked.

“Hopefully soon, Ani,” Alana said. “Patience is my best friend for the time being.”

“Well, if it was up to me, you’d be a Jedi Knight right now,” Anakin declared, making Alana chuckle.

“If it was up to you, Anakin,” Alana trailed off, smirking at her brother. “Well, let’s be glad it’s not up to you.”

“Hey, that’s not nice, Lanie,” Anakin huffed.

“I’m only teasing, Ani. I do appreciate the compliment.”

At that moment, they arrived at his room. Anakin excused himself and went to rest while Alana continued down the hall, hoping to find somewhere to meditate alone. As she made her way further up into the Jedi temple, she passed by one of the Youngling training rooms, where one of the clans under Master Plo was currently gathered. Alana stopped just out of sight of the doors, listening intently to Master Plo, when he suddenly spoke loudly for her to hear.

“Hello, Alana Skywalker, you may come in,” he said.

Almost embarrassed, Alana stepped out of the shadow of the doorway and came into the room. The Younglings all looked up at her, their eyes wide in awe.

“Say hello to our guest, Younglings,” Master Plo said.

“Hello Padawan Skywalker,” the children all echoed.

“Come, sit and join us. We were just discussing one of the most important tenants of Jedi learning,” Master Plo said, directing it at the group of children and at Alana as she sat down. “Patience.”

Alana wanted to roll her eyes and stomp out of the room. Everyone and everything in the whole universe was practically taunting her with that word. “Have patience, have patience.” She was tired of having patience.

“I have just told them about patience in the middle of battles, and how important that is. Would you be able to share your own experience?” Master Plo asked.

Alana gave a half-smile and nodded, looking to the children in front of her, who all were listening intently, waiting for her to speak. She was trying to think of what to say when she decided to really speak her mind.

“Patience is hard,” she began. “It’s something I’m still working through now. I’m sure that each Jedi still deals with how to be patient, no matter whether they be young, like you, or as old as Master Yoda,” she smiled, causing a few of the children to giggle. “Everyone will tell you at some point ‘be patient. Have patience.’ Even when all you want in the world is to be able to go and do something. There’s nothing more frustrating than that, and your frustrations can easily lead you down a path that you cannot return from.”

She thought for a moment, trying to come to a point. “Seek wisdom and counsel when you begin to encounter these things. It will always lead you to better places.”

The children sat there for a moment before suddenly a small Cathar Youngling raised her hand.

“Tell Padawan Skywalker what your name is and then ask your question,” Master Plo spoke.

“My name is Sylvan,” the Youngling spoke, her piercing blue eyes looking up at Alana. “How old were you when you became a Padawan?”

“I was eleven,” Alana said, causing a few of the Younglings to sigh lightly. “How old is this clan?” Alana asked.

“Six,” Sylvan said.

“I am twenty-five now,” Alana said. “And I am still learning. This is when patience is a dear friend because when you choose to be patient, your time will come.”

“Thank you, Padawan Skywalker,” Master Plo said. “Younglings, that concludes this evening’s lesson, if you will all please line at the door to return to your quarters.”

The Younglings all stood and made their way to the door as Alana stood.

“I trust we will see you tomorrow?” He asked her as they went to the front of the line.

“I’m not sure, I need to speak with my Master first,” Alana hesitated.

“He knows,” Master Plo said. “He trusts that you are able to choose the class to attend, and it seems that fate is what led you here today.”

Alana bowed.

“I will see you tomorrow, then, Master Plo,” she said.

“Ten o’clock,” he replied, bowing and allowing her to exit the room.

The next morning, at five o’clock, Alana met Master Windu outside of his quarters for their usual routine.

They meditated until breakfast, then followed with physical training and Force training until it was time for Alana to shadow the Youngling class while Master Windu conducted the Jedi Council meeting. She did that until lunchtime, where she spoke with her friends. After lunch, she spent some time with her brother before returning to the Youngling class, where her Master would meet her.

They then would travel to and from the Senate building and around Coruscant to engage with the senators and the chancellor as well as the people of Coruscant. After dinner, Alana would go down to the Jedi archives and study the personnel files until the late evening and she began to tire out.

She spent a few months in this routine, beginning to appreciate her role beside her Master more and more, as she had begun to hone her skills in negotiations and in settling disputes. She was also becoming more skilled in working with many of the senators and the chancellor himself.

One evening, as Alana was wrapping up her studies in the Jedi archive at around midnight when she heard a sound in the Jedi archive. She knew that the Jedi archive was usually deserted at this time, other than the Jedi who guarded the Archives and the Holocron Vault.

“Blast it,” someone muttered.

Alana stood, her hand lightly gripping her lightsaber in case it was an intruder, and she made her way silently toward the sound. She was about to whirl around the corner of one of the archive shelves and narrowly missed running into someone carrying a stack of computer chips.

“Sorry,” the familiar voice said.

“Obi-Wan?” Alana asked.

The man turned around in surprise, his face lighting up at seeing Alana.

“Perfect, someone who can help me sort through all of this data,” he said, grabbing her arm and dragging her over to where she had just been sitting at one of the computers.

“I was just about to l-“ she began.

“You know how this works, right?” He asked.

“Yes,” Alana began.

"Good, I need as much information on gundarks as possible," Obi-Wan said, inserting the first file into the computer reader and scanning through it quickly until Alana stopped him.

"Obi-Wan, hello?" She said, waving her hand in front of his face. "What is the matter with you? No explanation, just a lot of demands?"

"Sorry, I seem to be overly excited," he admitted, smoothing his robe. "Anakin and I are making another trip, we'll be gone for a little while, and I am hoping to show him a gundark. He seems to have no memory of studying the creature during the early parts of his training."

"Alright, then," Alana said and began to help him sift through the files.

They spent a few hours going through each one until Obi-Wan was finally satisfied with a composite of information on the creatures, from personal files of Jedi who had encountered them before to the actual defining features of the creatures.

As Obi-Wan put the files back onto the filing carts, he noticed how exhausted Alana was as she drooped in her chair, trying to rub the sleep from her eyes.

"Come on," he said, coming beside her and offering her his hand. "I'll walk you back to your quarters."

Alana took his hand gratefully as he pulled her up from her chair. The two of them made their way out of the library and down the nearly-deserted halls and to the elevator.

"Thank you for letting me drag you into all of this," Obi-Wan said. "I'm glad to get your assistance."

"Of course," Alana said, suppressing a yawn as the doors to the elevator opened.

They made their way towards her quarters, and just as they had reached them, Obi-Wan stopped her.

"Do you remember our time on Naboo?" He asked.

Alana was shaken from her deliriousness when he spoke.

"Of course I do," she said. "How could I forget?"

"Today would have been Qui-Gon's fiftieth birthday," Obi-Wan said.

"Oh," Alana replied, unsure of what to say.

"I hope that his memory lives on for as long as I do."

"It will, Obi-Wan," Alana looked up at Obi-Wan as they neared her door. "Every moment you spent with him, all his knowledge and who he was has been passed to you, and now it passes from you to Anakin."

Obi-Wan smiled at the thought.

"I suppose so," he said. He thought back on their time of Naboo, his mind flashing through the moments, when they first landed, when they returned with the Queen, Qui-Gon's death, and then Alana.

His mind flashed to the moment they had shared after the battle when she had come to him at night to ease his suffering. He had woken up nearly yelling, and he felt the need to leave the room. When he had swung open the door, her pale face was only visible by the reflection of the moonlight coming in from the windows.

Her skin had been soft when they had embraced, finding comfort in each other's arms. The way she looked the next morning, asleep on his chest, her lips parted, her eyes furrowed in concentration at something. He looked at her now, and despite the exhaustion evident on her face, he still found her beautiful.

"Obi-Wan," Alana whispered, touching his shoulder and shocking him back to reality. "We're at my door," she said hesitantly.

"Oh, yes."

A moment of silence passed between them before Alana spoke.

"You were thinking of it."

"Of what?"

"That night," she whispered, her eyes darting up and down the deserted hall, scared to see what would happen if anyone found out.

"I was," Obi-Wan admitted, trying to get a grip on his emotions that threatened to spill out of him. "It cannot happen again," he said aloud, for himself and for her.

"I know," Alana replied. "We cannot form attachments," she said. "Although somehow I am allowed to be attached to my brother and that is permissible in the Council's eyes but not with my friends or with any other?"

"Alana," Obi-Wan warned her of speaking ill of the Council.

"Does it not bother you, Obi-Wan?" She asked.

"I cannot afford to think like that, Alana," he whispered. "If my attachment to Master Qui-Gon had been as strong as your attachment to your brother, where would I be now except full of anger and a need for revenge?"

Obi-Wan was right. Alana felt her exhaustion rush back over her like a wave.

"I should go," she said, turning towards her door.

"Wait," Obi-Wan started. "I'm sorry for speaking to you like that. I shouldn't have."

"No, you're right. I don't know what I would do if something happened to Anakin. He's my brother, and I care for him deeply," she admitted.

"Perhaps it would be good if the two of us went away and stayed away for some time, then," Obi-Wan suggested. "Keep communication to a minimum. You will have to trust me and him to keep each other safe."

Alana looked to him in disbelief.

"I promised my mother and Anakin that I would take care of him. That I would protect him," she insisted.

"Perhaps this is protecting him," Obi-Wan said gently. "And yourself."

Alana looked down at her hands, her eyes filling up with tears. Obi-Wan was right. She couldn't hold Anakin back. In order to be the great Jedi that she knew he could be, their attachment needed to fade away.

"How long?" She asked, looking up into his steel-blue eyes.

"As long as it takes," he said.

"Will you tell him that I-" she broke off, choking on her words. "Tell him that may the Force be with him always."

Obi-Wan nodded, clenching his jaw to keep himself from picking her up and holding her in his arms, to will away her sadness, but he knew that he could not help her keep her emotions in check, that that was something only she could do herself.

"And, Obi-Wan, may the Force be with you, too," she said.

Obi-Wan bowed and stepped back, about to leave.

"Goodbye, Alana," he said quietly as he watched her disappear into her bedroom, not to be seen again for some time.


	9. Trials

"Keep your mind sharp, Younglings. You may ignite your lightsabers," Alana said, clapping her hands.

Master Plo sat to the side of the room, letting Alana take over the lightsaber training for the Younglings, as she had been busy for a few months, watching and helping in his class of Younglings. They were all spread out over the room, their lightsabers in hand and helmets over their heads. As they ignited them, they began to turn in circles.

Alana then released three of the robotic practice droids and stepped back, watching as the students all seemed to follow it. She toured around the room, watching as they stood, trying to focus their minds.

"Have patience and listen. Reach out to the Force and

The droids maneuvered their way around the room, looking for their next target, splitting up. Alana watched as one of the droids made a beeline for the young Cathar, Sylvan, who Alana had been keeping a close eye on over the past months.

The girl was sharp with both her actions and her words and was quick to her emotions, just as Alana had once been. She hoped that one day whoever her Master was would teach and help her to learn better ways of conducting herself.

Alana watched as Sylvan began to swing her lightsaber viciously in the general direction of the droid, which easily swept out of her sweeping blows before going over to another Youngling. Alana raised an eyebrow and made her way around the room to Sylvan.

"Sylvan," Alana spoke, causing Sylvan to jump. "Remove your helmet."

The child's shoulders slumped forward at Alana's words, and she lowered her lightsaber, turning it off and placing it on the floor. She struggled with the helmet for a second before removing it and looking at Alana, who had knelt on the ground beside the child.

"Do you know why I asked you to remove your helmet?" Alana asked.

"Yes," Sylvan replied. Alana urged her to go on. "It's because I failed at destroying the droid."

"Yes, you did fail," Alana said. "But failure is something you need to learn to use to your advantage," she added. "If you fail, you must learn why and try to understand it for next time."

"But if I fail and someone were to die-"

"Whoa, there little one, you have many many years to fail and learn before then," Alana said. "When you become a Jedi Knight, you will come to see that your failures become lesser and lesser all the time and that all of the things you've learned bring you to better yourself in the end. In the meanwhile, do you know what you did wrong when the droid came?"

"Not really, I tried to hit it, but I just wasn't fast enough."

"It's not that you weren't fast enough, it's that you were too fast. The droid knew that an inexperienced person would attack immediately, so it avoided your blows. The key is to startle it by being patient, and it will make a wrong move," Alana said. "Now, put your helmet on and try again."

Sylvan obeyed and put her helmet on, and Alana sent a droid towards the Youngling as she made her way back to Master Plo.

"Let's see how she does now," she said to Master Plo.

Sylvan sensed the droid approaching and turned to face it, her helmet causing her to reach out and use the Force. This time, instead of attacking immediately, she did as Alana asked and waited. The droid spun around, preparing to send a mock blaster shot, and Sylvan attacked as it was unguarded, sending the droid crashing to the ground.

"Excellent," Master Plo commented.

"Very good," Alana agreed.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door, and Alana looked to see Master Windu and Master Yoda at the door, peering in. They motioned for her to approach them, and Alana took off, leaving Master Plo to conduct the rest of the lesson.

"What is it?" Alana asked as they made their way out into the hallway.

"The Council has decided that it's time," Master Windu said.

"What do you mean, 'it's time'?" Alana asked.

"The Trials, you must face," Master Yoda said.

"What? I must prepare, then," Alana exclaimed, looking up at her Master.

"No need, Padawan Skywalker. Much, have you learned," Master Yoda said as they made their way to where the Trials were held, in a room with a Holocron simulation.

"There will be 5 main trials. The Trial of Insight, Trial of the Spirit, Trial of the Flesh, Trial of Courage, and Trial of Skill. You may or may not be called upon for another, undisclosed Trial, but that may be after the completion of all 5 other trials," Master Windu spoke. Alana nodded, listening closely to her Master.

As they arrived at the base of the stairs to the Jedi Trial Chamber, Master Windu stopped.

"I cannot go any further, my Padawan Learner," he spoke. "May the Force be with you," he said.

Alana bowed and followed Master Yoda up the stairs and into the Jedi Trials Chamber.

"Luck, you will not need. The Force is strong within you," Master Yoda's voice echoed as the door to the Jedi Trials Chamber began to open.

As soon as Alana entered the room, everything fell silent and the door behind her shut. She felt for her lightsaber and called it into her hand, igniting it for light. She looked around the room that had suddenly changed into a hallway. She followed the path down and she came upon a dead end. She looked around her, looking up to see that the hall continued vertically above her. She sighed and jumped up, using the walls and her momentum to propel herself upwards.

She finally reached a platform, but the door back into the hallway was shut, causing Alana to continue. She went upwards, for some time, and she could feel herself getting tired, but she pushed through.

"What kind of a Trial is this?" She muttered, reaching another closed platform. She looked over the edge and sighed, looking over and below her, was simply a long dark hole. Suddenly, the door behind her opened, and she sensed someone was right behind her, and she turned, in just enough time to block a purple lightsaber that came close to her face. It was Master Windu.

"Master?" Alana asked when she was suddenly pushed away. She almost lost her balance on the ledge, but then managed to recover, jumping so that Master Windu was between her and the platform, and she was now in the hallway.

She frowned slightly as he began to attack her. She blocked and parried his thrusts, using her green lightsaber to try and attack him. She began to realize that she was fighting for her life as she began to furiously counter each thrust. This went on for some time, as he continued to push her further and further back. It was all she could do to parry his blows.

Alana suddenly felt something at her back. She had reached the end of a hallway. She was cornered. She continued to counter his vicious attacks while she tried to think of some way out. she noticed that he had spun his lightsaber from one hand to another, and if only she could get him to drop it, she would have the upper hand.

She watched for a few more seconds before suddenly pressing her back up against the wall and her feet to kick Master Windu back. He dropped his lightsaber, and she reached her hand out and used the Force, calling the lightsaber into her own hands. She stood over Master Windu and placed both lightsabers close to his neck.

"I have beaten you, Master. This Trial is over," she said. Master Windu smiled and suddenly everything faded and the hallway turned to complete darkness.

Alana couldn't see anything but her ignited lightsaber. It cast a light a few feet in front of her, but it was completely silent still. She suddenly felt an intense cold surrounding her, pressing in on all sides. She whirled around, sensing something approaching her, but she could not see it.

This went on for some time, Alana quickly lost track, simply racing around in the pitch black. There was no sensation underneath her feet other than her running, her eyes could not adjust to the darkness around her, and the intensity of the cold was throwing her off.

Fear began to take root in her heart as the coldness suddenly intensified, and the sound of a thousand people came racing towards her. Alana clenched her jaw, trying desperately not to lose her way. She began to breathe deeply, trying to regain her composure. As the sound neared her, it turned into only one person's feet. Alana finally let her lightsaber turn off and plopped to the ground.

Whatever was coming for her was beginning to catch up, and she knew that she needed to not let the terror fill her because she would fail if she did not calm down. She closed her eyes, reaching out into the cold, using the Force to sense out who or what was out there.

Suddenly, she sensed them right behind her, and she jumped up, igniting her lightsaber only to see a small little girl standing in front of her, shrouded in darkness.

"Good job, mamma," the girl whispered. And then everything changed.

Alana stood there, stunned, as the girl disappeared back into the cover of darkness. The space around her lit up again, and Alana found herself staring at a clearing in a snow-filled forest, a downed ship behind her.

Alana looked around at the darkness in the forest, before her eyes landed on two figures, laying on the ground. They were Shmi and Anakin. She gasped and noticed that there were bloodstains streaked in the snow around them.

"No, no, no," she whispered, racing to them, trying to use her hands to stop the blood from seeping out of the deep wounds that riddled their bodies.

"It's ok, Lanie," Anakin coughed.

"Let us go," Shmi said.

Alana shook her head, her mind screaming at the idea of losing her mother and her brother. It was clear that she was not ready to let them go.

"I can't, I have to save you," Alana wept, beginning to rip off pieces of her clothing to use as bandages. She wrapped her brother's chest and then her mother's, tying them tightly around their bodies.

"You can't save us, Alana," Shmi said, her hand reaching up and cupping Alana's cheek. "You have to go. You need to save yourself," Shmi whispered before suddenly her hand dropped to the ground, empty of all life.

Alana looked back to see that the downed ship had started burning the trees all around her. They were rapidly closing in around the group. Alana knew that if she didn't leave soon, she too would die.

As the blood from her mother and brother's wounds began to seep through the bandages, Alana realized that she wouldn't be able to save them.

"No!" She screamed, banging her hands on the ground. "This isn't fair!"

"Go," Anakin's voice whispered. Alana looked down as her brother lost consciousness, his presence in the Force vanishing and leaving Alana empty. Blinded with tears and filled with rage, Alana screamed again, her hands covered in her family's blood. She looked to see the fire getting closer and she wept. Finally, she stood, backing away from her family into the small path between the flames.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered before racing out of the burning forest.

Once she reached a safe distance from the fire, the pain in her heart was squeezing at her chest, causing her to fall to her knees, gasping for air when behind her there was an explosion. She sat there for a moment, the crackling of the flames behind her making her cry. The snow fell, a bitter blanket of frost surrounding her and falling on her bloodstained robes.

"Come quickly, you must," Master Yoda's voice floated to her. Alana looked up to see him and a few other Jedi coming out of the woods. Amongst them was Shaak Ti and Luminara.

"Just kill me," Alana whispered, pleading with her friends.

"Not done, are you. To the cave, you must go and seek shelter," Master Yoda said. "Our enemies are going to reach us soon."

Alana reluctantly allowed herself to be helped up, and the group of Jedi all made their way up the side of the mountain, racing through the trees.

"There's a cavern up ahead! You can rest there while we search the area," Shaak Ti said. Alana looked at her friend before leading the way up into the cave. She looked ahead of her and entered, the other Jedi making their way around the cave, leaving her alone again in the darkness.

She entered cautiously, igniting her lightsaber to see the way.

"Hello there," a voice behind her said. Alana whirled and stopped, taking in the sight of the black-haired woman before her. 

"Who are you?" She demanded.

"Oh, pity, I thought you would recognize me, Alana," the woman said, her blue eyes smirking at Alana. "I'm you, dear."

Alana shook her head, wiping the exhaustion from her eyes.

"What?" She demanded. "Do not try to deceive me."

"You have done that yourself," the other Alana said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a lightsaber and igniting it. The scarlet red of the blade reflected in her eyes as she smirked at Alana.

"What have you done?" Alana asked, igniting her lightsaber. "You're a Sith!"

"I did what I had to save Anakin," the other Alana said. "That's more than I can say for you."

Suddenly she leaped over to Alana, their lightsabers crashing together in a blinding light, sending both of them stumbling backward before they raced at each other again. The fight was difficult, with Alana's mind distracted by the thought of her mother and brother dying in the woods, the thought of her Master's betrayal. Her thoughts allowed her counterpart to gain the upper hand, sending Alana stumbling out of the cave and falling down the mountainside in the snow. She lay there for a second, her face buried in the snow, struggling to lift herself up and reach her lightsaber, which had fallen out of her hand when she fell.

The Sith jumped down behind her, sliding in the snow and snatching up Alana's fallen lightsaber. She scoffed, looking down at Alana, who was on her knees. 

"By killing you, I will be able to save Anakin. Your death brings me no sorrow," the Sith sneered, taking both lightsabers and igniting them beside Alana's neck.

"And if I live?" Alana whispered, looking to the Sith. 

"He dies," the other Alana responded, staring down at Alana. "I cannot let that happen I have to protect him at all costs."

Alana thought back to her brother in the snow, his dying breaths as she knelt beside him. Then her mind wandered to Obi-Wan, what he had told her before they had promised to not see each other again for some time.

"Perhaps his death is protecting him," Alana whispered. "I have to let him go," she said, looking up to see the other Alana staring down at her, her face twisted with rage and anger. Alana almost felt pity at the reflection of herself. That would be what she would become if she did not learn to let go.

"You must die!" The Sith shouted, beginning to slice down with both lightsabers.

In that split second, Alana pushed the Sith back with the Force, getting her to drop to her knees, Alana's lightsaber falling from her hands.

"No, you must die," Alana said, and with a swift cut, she severed the head of her opponent.

She suddenly felt something tearing at her, a sensation so painful and so intense that it blinded her for a moment, and she truly felt how deep and intense her connection had been to that dark side of herself. The act of killing the reflection of herself from the dark side had severed all connection to that realm.

Once her blindness subsided, she suddenly heard a reassuring voice calling to her.

"Return to the present, Liliana, come back. Your trials are over." 

She looked into the face of Obi-Wan. The room had changed back into the way it had looked when she had first entered. She trembled in exhaustion, both mentally and physically, relieved to see a non-threatening face once more. 

"Are they truly over?" Alana asked, taking Obi-Wan's hand and letting him help her up. She looked at him, confused, the usual warmth and presence in the Force was not there.

"Yes, they're over, come with me, Alana," Obi-Wan said, trying to lead her towards the door.

"No, wait," Alana said, shaking her head. "You're not supposed to be here," she said, letting go of his hand and looking at him suspiciously. "How do I know I can trust you? I sense nothing from you, Obi-Wan."

"Come, Alana, do you not trust me?" Obi-Wan asked, a hurt expression flashing across his face.

"No, I don't, you left. There is no way you could be here," Alana said, backing away from Obi-Wan.

"You're being ridiculous."

"You're not real."

"Yes, I am, come on, it's time to go to the Council," Obi-Wan insisted, taking a step towards her.

"You're not real," Alana repeated. 

"Your trials are over, Alana, do you not see that?" Obi-Wan said.

Suddenly, Alana gathered the rest of her strength and used the Force to push Obi-Wan out of the Trial Chambers, shutting the door behind him.

"No, my friend, now these trials have finished," she said before collapsing, just as the doors to the Chamber opened, and everything went black.


	10. A New Mission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Please drop a kudos (if you haven't already) and comment when you read this (slightly shorter) chapter! I'm absolutely in love with writing this fanfic, and I'm happy for Alana as a character. I hope you enjoy! -Rach

Alana woke to find herself in the Jedi Temple medical bay. She groaned, looking around her and beginning to sit up. Her eyes flickered around the room, landing on the figure seated beside her bed.

"Hello there, Alana," Master Windu said. "Good to see you awake."

"Master," Alana replied. "How long have I been out?" She asked.

"A few hours. You passed out from exhaustion at the end of your trials before the Council could give you the results."

Alana looked down at her hands and sighed. She reflected on her experience in the Jedi Trials chamber, shuddering at the image of herself as a Sith.

"Those things in the chamber, were they real?" Alana asked. "Are they all possible?"

"Anything is possible, Alana. But you must be cautious of your feelings. They betray you," Master Windu said. "All that matters now is that your Trials have been completed. You are to become a Jedi Knight."

Alana smiled, happy that she had passed the Trials.

"You are to have your Knighting ceremony tomorrow. Following that, the Council is sending you on a mission to Naboo, to help Jedi Knight Luminara in arbitrating the treaty between the Gungans and the Naboo," Master Windu said.

"Yes, Master."

"Now, return to your room once the doctors have cleared you. I will come and escort you to the heart of the Tranquility Spire so that you may meditate before the Council calls you for your ceremony."

Alana nodded and watched as her Master left the infirmary, leaving her to get cleared by the droid doctors before she escaped back to her room. She changed into a different set of robes, her mind flickering back to all of the trials.

Before she could reminisce too much, there was a knock at the door. She left, meeting her Master and bowing to him as they silently made their way to the Tranquility Spire to begin meditating for her ceremony.

She entered a darkened room and bade her Master farewell. The room was empty, with a small seat in the middle. She made her way over to it, sitting down cross-legged and shut her eyes.

When she did, almost immediately her mind wandered to the trials. Instead of clearing her thoughts away, she took her time to see them and to think of her experiences in the chamber.

First, there had been the Trial of Skill, her climb up the halls and her fight against her master. She shuddered at the thought of fighting her Master again. Then her time in the dark. Her Trial of Courage. She had spent hours running, but the moment that she had stilled herself the little girl had appeared.

The little girl's voice echoed in Alana's mind, and she pursed her lips. She had never seen the child before. What did that mean? Who was she? Alana took a deep breath and centered herself again, pushing the child to the back of her mind.

Then, there had been the Trial of Flesh. Her connection to her brother and to her mother and their loss had tested her to see if she could deal with loss and suffering. She shuddered at the image of them lying in the snow.

The next trial had been by far the most difficult, the face-off against herself and the Trial of the Spirit. The Sith's words still echoed in Alana's soul, and she trembled at the idea of facing herself again. She had won there, but could she win again, she wasn't sure.

"I did what I had to save Anakin. That's more than I can say for you."

Alana clenched her jaw, those words sticking to her. But then she thought of her actions in response. Maybe death was more comforting than life for her brother.

"I have to let him go," she whispered out loud. She startled herself out of her thoughts, opening her eyes in the darkened room. She looked around her, seeing the room was still empty. In order to save her brother, she had to lose him. She had done that when she had said goodbye to Obi-Wan those many months ago, and she found herself more at peace than she ever had before.

She shut her eyes again, thinking of the last part of the trials. The Trial of Insight. She had seen through Obi-Wan. He didn't feel real. He didn't seem real. The warmth and kindness that she usually felt when she was around him was beautiful and it made her feel safe. But she hadn't felt anything.

She sat there for a little while longer, allowing herself to reflect on her actions during the Trials before deciding that it was time to meditate on her path and her future, just like she had learned to do many years ago when she was just beginning her apprenticeship under Master Windu.

She took a deep breath and centered herself, focusing her mind on the Force, on the beautiful and marvelous presence of the Force that bound every living being together in a harmonious balance. She reached out with her mind for some time, searching for anything the Force would allow her to see when suddenly she grasped at something. A vision.

"Be careful, Master," the young girl standing in front of Alana said. It was a Cathar Padawan, looking up to her with wide eyes, her arms crossed over her chest.

"I always am, young one. I will see you soon. Continue your training," Alana said before turning and getting into a ship beside Obi-Wan Kenobi.

"Ready, R5?" Alana asked her droid. It beeped excitedly back at her and she smiled. "Well let's go find out where that dart came from then, shall we?"

Alana shook her head out of her meditation, opening her eyes in the room. It seemed brighter than before as if she had been deep in meditation for much longer than she had thought. She closed her eyes again, trying to go back to that vision.

However, instead of reaching back at it, she was blocked by something in the Force, as if there was a great barrier between her and the vision. She took a deep breath and focused on it, determined to go around the barrier when suddenly she ran into a presence.

They approached her, their presence soft and sweet, nothing that Alana had ever felt before. She had a strong urge to grab for it, and she reached out her hand involuntarily even though she knew she could not touch it. But the presence was beautiful and perfect, and Alana did not want to move away from it. She stayed there for some time, finding immense peace and comfort in being near this person. She tried to will a vision into focus, wanting to see who it was, but the more she tried, the fainter the presence got until she suddenly was cut off from them.

She opened her eyes with a gasp, upset to have been torn away from the beautiful vision, and she sighed, seeing before her Master Windu.

"Master," she said.

"My young Padawan, it is time," he said.

Alana bowed and stood, following her Master from the room and down into the Hall of Knighthood. When the arrived, Master Windu guided her into the middle of the room. She could sense the members of the High Council all around her, hidden in the shadows of the circular room. Once Master Windu took his place among them, they all stepped forward together, and Alana knelt before them.

She looked up to see Master Yoda, The Grand Master of the Jedi, approach her.

"Well done, your training is, Alana Skywalker," he said. "Glad for you to become a Jedi, I am."

"Thank you, Master," Alana said, bowing her head.

"Serve the Jedi well, you will, hmm?" He asked her.

"Until the day I die," Alana replied, looking up at him, and it seemed to her that he had a small smile etched across his face.

"Good, good," he said, before suddenly igniting his lightsaber. "Bestow upon you the rank of Jedi Knight, the Council does," he said before suddenly bringing his lightsaber down beside her head and severing her Padawan braid, letting it fall into her hands.

Alana looked up, her eyes shining with happiness. Around her, the Jedi all bowed as she rose to her feet, her Padawan braid in her hands.

"Now, it is time for you to go on your first mission as a Jedi Knight, Alana Skywalker. A transport there will be, on the landing platform," Master Yoda said.

Alana bowed low, thanking all of the members of the Jedi Council before turning to go. As she made her way to the turbolift, she caught Master Windu's eye, and he had a proud smile etched across his face.

"May the Force be with you, my friend," he said quietly, knowing that she would hear him. She smiled back at him, knowing that she had made him immensely proud before taking the turbolift down to her room.

She grabbed a small bag and packed swiftly before leaving the Jedi Temple. She made her way down to the landing platform, where the transport ship that would bring her to Naboo was waiting. She arrived and nodded to one of the Jedi guards before getting onto the ship. She made her way up into the ship just as the last remaining supplies had been brought on board, and she entered the cockpit, where two pilots were preparing for takeoff.

"Hello Alana Skywalker," one of the pilots said. "We have our course heading for Naboo. It should be an easy ride. Just waiting on the clear signal to take off."

"Everything's been loaded and the walkway is cleared for takeoff," Alana responded.

Just then, one of the control towers from the Jedi Temple gave them the all-clear, and the ship took off into the sky. Alana watched as Coruscant disappeared below them and they reached space. They were a few hours from Naboo, so she knew she would have a chance to rest before her arrival.

"If you need me, I'll be resting," Alana said. The pilots nodded, and Alana left the cockpit. She retired to a sleeping area on the ship, flopping down onto one of the cots. She touched her head where her old Padawan braid had been and she smiled.

Alana slept for most of the trip, only waking as they jumped out of hyperspace next to the planet of Naboo. Alana could sense how close they were and rose, making her way to the cockpit. As she entered, she watched as the ship made its way down to the surface, where it landed in the capital city, Theed.

Alana turned and went to the door to the ship, eager to get her feet back on the grounds of Naboo. It had been a long time since she had been to Naboo, and she was glad to be back, despite some of the bad memories that accompanied her mission there.

As the door opened, Alana descended onto the surface, seeing some familiar faces in front of her. She saw Queen Amidala accompanied by her handmaids, and beside her was the captain of her guard, Captain Panaka. Beside them, a ways off were a group of Gungans accompanying Boss Nass. Jedi Knight Shaak Ti stood in between.

She approached Shaak Ti first, bowing to her friend.

"It is good to see you, my friend," Alana said.

"It's good to see you, Jedi Knight Skywalker," Shaak Ti replied, bowing in kind. "I heard the good news. Congratulations, Alana."

"Thank you, Shaak Ti," Alana replied, a smile on her face before she noted the upset looks spread across the Gungan's faces. "What prompts the look of disgust?" She whispered.

"They don't even like being the presence of the Naboo," Shaak Ti shook her head. "Come, greet the Gungans first, then the Queen. Then you and I will debrief and discuss a strategy to begin negotiations. The negotiations will take place tomorrow morning."

"Of course," Alana said as they made their way over to the Gungans. She bowed to Boss Nass and then to a rather interesting sight, Jar-Jar Binks. Not that she didn't like him, it's just that Alana couldn't stand speaking to him for extended periods of time. He tended to either annoy her or get into all kinds of trouble.

After exchanging some greetings with the Gungans, Alana turned to the Naboo, smiling at Padme, who assumed the mantle of Queen very well.

"Your Majesty," Alana bowed.

"Jedi Knight Skywalker," the Queen replied. "It is good to see a face who helped save Naboo during our invasion. We welcome you back."

"Of course," Alana replied, beginning to walk back towards the palace between the Queen and Shaak Ti. "I can only hope that we can resolve this dispute much more quickly than the last."

"Me too," Padme replied, letting her poise drop momentarily before shaking her head back up to its royal poise. "My handmaid, Eirtaé, will escort you to your room and make sure you have all you need."

"Of course, my lady," Alana said.

"In order to keep you both as impartial as we can, I'm afraid I must ask you to have dinner on your own this evening. We will meet again in the Great Hall on the east side tomorrow morning at nine o'clock," Queen Amidala said as they reached the threshold of the palace. 

"Yes, Your Majesty. Until then," Alana said, bowing to her as they parted ways, with Alana staying behind, her bag in hand, Shaak Ti on her right, and Eirtaé on her left.

"Come, I will show you to your room," Eirtaé said, turning to go, but Alana stopped her.

"I don't know if you remember, Eirtaé, those three years ago, but I wanted to thank you for healing me on Tatooine," Alana said. "I never got the chance to thank you then."

"Of course," Eirtaé said, a slight smile on her face. "It is always an honor to help the Jedi."

The three of them made their way into the palace and to where Shaak Ti's room was located. Eirtaé pointed them out. They were right next to where Alana would be staying. Eirtaé opened the doors to Alana's room, giving Alana a sense of deja-vu. 

"I stayed in this very room the last time I was here," she said incredulously, as they entered into the room. Eirtaé made her way to the windows, opening the curtains to reveal a small balcony that looked over the gardens. The attention to detail that the Naboo had put into her stay amazed her.

"Queen Amidala wanted to make it as comfortable as possible for you," Eirtaé said. "If there is nothing else, I should return."

"No, I'm fine, thank you," Alana said.

Eirtaé took her leave of the two Jedi. Alana turned to the balcony, motioning for Shaak Ti to follow her out onto it. As the two of them stepped out, the warm breeze hit Alana in the face and she took in a deep breath, happy to have the fresh air. It was so much different than on Coruscant.

"So, tell me what the situation is," she finally said, turning to Shaak Ti.

"Well, it appears that the Gungans violated a part of the treaty between the Naboo and the Gungans. One of the land plots between the Gungan territory and the Naboo was destroyed by the Gungans during some kind of new mining operation. The Naboo are seeking to use a plot of the Gungans' land for the people who were affected to resettle, and the Gungans are refusing to claim responsibility for their actions."

"Haven't you tried just-" Alana made a waving motion with her hand, to indicate how to sway the opinions and actions of the weak-minded.

"No, Alana, we cannot just use the Force to will away these problems, for they will arise again and again," Shaak Ti shook her head. "They came to a stalemate yesterday, which is why I requested aid. I need someone else to bounce ideas off of."

"Well, I'm here," Alana said.

"If I'm honest, I had hoped that whoever they would send already had ideas," Shaak Ti admitted, looking down at her feet.

"Well, right now I don't have many of those. But I can help you brainstorm. We can try to come up with a plan to get the Gungans and the Naboo to settle this dispute peacefully and get the people who were displaced a new place to live."

"I like the way you think, Lanie," Shaak Ti said, smiling at her friend.

"Oh, trust me, Ti, me too," Alana replied.

As the night drew near, the two of them remained in Alana's room, trying to come up with a plan that would satisfy the Naboo and Gungans, and give them a way to reach a settlement. It was clear that both sides would have to compromise in some way in order to finally agree.

Once they had finally agreed upon a course of action, Shaak Ti retired to her room for the evening, leaving Alana on her own. Once Alana changed into her sleepwear, she went back to the balcony, looking out over the three moons that now shone brightly over Naboo. She shuddered, wishing that she had brought something warmer to wrap herself up in when she thought back to her moments with Obi-Wan.

The way he had held her as they both grieved for the loss of someone they had grown fond of. The way Obi-Wan had looked at her when she had opened her eyes that next morning. The way his skin felt when she touched it.

"Stop," she said out loud, knowing that she could not afford to think of him in that way. "You cannot form attachments."

She sighed and moved off the balcony and to her bed.

"It's for the best, Alana," she whispered to herself, as she got into the bed, pushing her thoughts of Obi-Wan to the back of her mind and forced herself to get some rest.


	11. The Calling

*Flashback*  
A darkly lit house on the outskirts of Naboo was lit up suddenly.

Ophrion and Shmi Skywalker woke up with a start to hear someone downstairs, shuffling around.

"Ophrion-" Shmi hissed. "Who's there?"

Ophrion jumped up and snuck to their bedroom door, cracking it open and look around outside. He pursed his lips when he recognized two figures coming up the stairs towards Alana's old bedroom. When they went inside, Ophrion shut the door quietly.

"Shmi, get out of here." Ophrion hissed. "Get help."

"I won't leave without you!"

"You have to go," he insisted. Shmi made way to the window and began to open it, trying to escape onto the roof, when suddenly someone appeared at the window, their face shrouded in darkness. She screamed, startled by the intruder who kicked her out of the way and entered the house.

"Where is she," the figure hissed, ignoring Shmi who was laying on the ground, whimpering in pain. It made its way over to Ophrion, who backed towards the door, when the door opened behind him, trapping him in the middle of the room.

"Where is who?" He asked, looking over at Shmi, willing her to get up and get out of there. "What's going on."

"Your daughter," the voice hissed. "Where is she?"

"I don't know who you're talking about," Ophrion gulped, when suddenly, something gripped at his throat, an invisible force, beginning to choke him.

"Where. Is. She," the voice repeated.

"I'll never tell you," Ophrion choked out.

"Then I suppose I will just have to ask your wife," the voice said, dropping him to the ground and turning to Shmi. As he approached, about to grab her, Ophrion spoke.

"No, wait," he coughed, gasping for air. "She's gone. The Jedi came this morning."

"You weren't supposed to let her go. We had a deal," the voice hissed, going to him and kneeling beside Ophrion.

"I lied," he said.

"So I see," the voice responded. "You know how we repay liars?"

Suddenly, a blaster shot came out of nowhere, shooting Ophrion in the back. The voice hissed and stood, looking over at their companion, their rage tangible in the thick air.

"No!" Shmi screamed, seeing Ophrion's blood pooling on the floor beneath him.

"Look what you've done," the voice hissed. They sighed and threw over a bag of coins before looking back at Shmi. "That should be enough to cover your services. And her termination."

The person stormed off, down the steps and out of the house, their duty done.

Meanwhile, Shmi laid, cowering in the corner, the image of her dead husband burnt into her eyes. She couldn't imagine what would have happened to Alana if she had been there.

"Come, get rid of her," one of the bounty hunters said. "We have to get out of here before something happens."

The other bounty hunter looked down at Shmi and narrowed his eyes. "We could make even more money, you know," he replied, a smirk forming on his mouth. "I say we sell her to the Hutts. The guy will never know."

They exchanged glances before laughing. One of the bounty hunters approached Shmi, who backed away. He reached down to grab her, and she hit him.

"Oh you bitch," he said before suddenly hitting her over the head, knocking her unconscious.   
*End Flashback*

Alana woke with a start, covered in sweat and breathing hard. She sat up and tried to calm down, focusing on her surroundings. The room was empty, and the faint sunlight was creeping inside, showing that it was nearly time for the day to begin.

Alana sat there for a moment, the image of her dead father and her unconscious mother etched into her mind. She had had this vision before, many times. Even though her mother had never told her about the night her father died, Alana knew that her vision was true.

She finally stood and went into the bathroom and splashing cold water on her face before getting ready for the day. She dressed and breakfast was delivered to her door. After she ate, she decided to spend a few moments in meditation when finally, a knock came at her door. 

Alana went to the door and opened it, revealing Shaak Ti. They bowed to one another before Alana left her room, following her friend down the hall.

"You didn't sleep well," Shaak Ti said quietly.

"Yes, I am aware," Alana said, much more sharply than she had hoped. "I'm sorry, Ti. There's a lot on my mind right now. With the Trials, this mission, and my memories of this place."

"It's a lot," Shaak Ti said, placing a hand on Alana's shoulder. "If you wish to step back, I understand entirely."

"No, no," Alana shook her head. "I'll be quite alright."

The reached the chamber and made their way inside, eager to begin. Alana and Shaak Ti made their way up to two seats that were in the middle of the room, dividing the Naboo on the right and the Gungans on the left. The two Jedi sat down and waiting silently until the two delegations had arrived.

Once everyone was present, Shaak Ti stood.

"This session is now in order," she called. Everyone bowed before Shaak Ti sat back down. "If we could please have the delegates for the Naboo people please step forward and state your grievances."

Queen Amidala stepped forward to the podium on her side of the room, her young presence calming the room. She was well-liked and revered even though she was still only in her teenage years. 

"Thank you, Jedi," she said before turning to Gungan delegation. "Your Royal Highness of the Gungan people, in light of recent events with your mining destroying some of the homes of the Naboo people, we are seeking to use a piece of your land to relocate fifty-four families so that they may live on in peace and prosperity as they did before the incident."

Queen Amidala bowed and stepped back, taking her seat.

"Thank you, Queen Amidala," Alana said before turning to the Gungan side. "If we could please have the delegates for the Gungan people please step forward and state your grievances."

"Weesa no doing desa," Boss Nass sputtered. "Yousa asking for wesa sacred land."

With that, he sat back down. Alana looked at Shaak Ti for a split second, both finding his short answer rather refreshing.

"Seeing both sides, we have some questions," Shaak Ti spoke, standing. "First, to the Queen of Naboo. Is it possible to lower the number of families who should move onto this land? And what is the amount of land that you are needed to rebuild?"

Queen Amidala looked to her advisors who nodded, with one of them speaking quickly in her ear. She then stood and approached the podium.

"Yes, Master Jedi," she said. "We would be able to lower the number of families to twenty-five. For that, we would need ten hectares of land."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Shaak Ti spoke.

"Your Royal Highness," Alana said, looking to the Gungans. "I am sure that the Naboo understand that you have sacred sites in your land that you would like to keep untouched. Are you able to provide ten hectares of land to the Naboo people for restitution for the mining accident?"

"Theysa no touchen the sacred place?" Boss Nass asked.

Alana turned to Padme and nodded for her to speak.

"Of course, Your Royal Highness. We would respect your wishes and build around or away from your sacred sites. It is important to the Naboo to maintain a good relationship with you and your people," she said.

"Then, wesa can do that," Boss Nass said, after a moment in thought.

Alana sighed in relief. That had been a much easier affair once everything was said and done. Now came the part for minute details. She performed her duty, helping to negotiate the exact area, and they agreed to send some Naboo to survey the land that they agreed upon.

After a few hours more of negotiating the location of the houses and the payment to relocate the families of Naboo, they were done. The two groups stood, bowing to each other and the Jedi before departing from the negotiation hall.

As they left, Alana and Shaak Ti made their way out of the hall, where Queen Amidala was waiting for them.

"Your Majesty," the two Jedi said, bowing to her.

"Thank you for your willingness to help our people settle our differences," she said. "I am glad to be in the company of the Jedi, especially since the last time they came to our aid during the invasion of Naboo, seven years ago."

"Of course, we are glad that things were resolved peacefully," Alana said.

"As am I," Queen Amidala spoke. "Do not hesitate to ask for anything during your stay."

"Thank you, Your Majesty, but I do not think we will be able to stay for very long. I am sure the Jedi Council has new assignments for us," Shaak Ti said.

"I see," Queen Amidala looked over at Alana. "Well, it's always good to see an old friend. Good luck on your travels. I hope to meet you both again."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," Alana said. The two of them bowed as Queen Amidala left the room back towards her throne room, where she had more meetings scheduled for that day.

Alana and Shaak Ti made their way to the Naboo communication tower to inform the council of the result of their negotiations. They spoke briefly with Master Yoda, before confirming their return to Coruscant scheduled for later that night.

"What will you do in your spare time?" Shaak Ti asked.

"There's somewhere I need to visit," Alana said. "I will meet you back at the ship in a few hours."

Shaak Ti bowed and watched as Alana left the hallway, going down and out into the streets of Theed. Just outside the city, she walked to a small village, one that she could only faintly remember. It had changed from when she had last been there as a child. After the invasion of Naboo, Alana had been too busy to travel to the spot she longed to go.

The villagers briefly glanced up from their work as she passed through before she came to a stop in front of a small, abandoned house on the edge of town. She stood outside, looking up at it when she heard footsteps approaching.

"You might want to stay away from there, deary," a warm, older voice said. Alana turned to see an old woman standing just behind her, looking up at the old house. "The last owner died and his wife disappeared. It was a terrible thing. Such a terrible thing."

"I know," Alana whispered, looking back up at the tan-colored stone walls. "They were my parents."

The old woman thought for a moment, examining the young woman in front of her. The long black hair, the blue eyes. She was the spitting image of Ophrion Skywalker.

"Alana Skywalker. Is it true that you're a Jedi?" The old woman asked. "You must be at least twenty-five? Twenty-six?"

"Twenty-six," Alana said, putting a small smile on her face before looking back at the old woman. She seemed vaguely familiar, but she couldn't quite put a finger on how or when she had met the woman. "I'm sorry, but I don't seem to remember you."

"Oh, oh," the woman chuckled. "I don't suppose you would. You were just a small little thing. My name is Irma Jukaba. Everyone around here calls me Ma," she smiled and patted Alana on the back. "It's good to see you here deary."

"I'm not here for long," Alana admitted. "I just wanted to come and see if it was still here."

"I see," Ma said, shaking her head sadly. "Well, I'll leave you then. Take your time, I know it is difficult to lose those who are close to you. Even if you are a Jedi."

Alana nodded and thanked the woman before turning back to the house. She approached slowly and reached her hand out to open the door. As the door creaked open, memories of the place began to fill her mind.

She stepped inside, looking up the stairs to where she knew the vilest things had happened to her family. She did not want to go up there, but she did. Alana made her way up the creaking stairs to the landing, where she could see a light pink room, where she had once slept as an infant. She looked over to see the door to her parent's room cracked open and touched it, a flash of pain hitting her as she opened the door.

In front of her was a deep red stain on the wooden floors that caused Alana to fall to her knees and weep. She had never truly mourned the death of her father. She stayed there, in the entryway to her parents' bedroom, reminiscing on her time there as a child, the good memories, and truly grieving for the loss.

After a few hours of contemplation and meditation, she let go of her feelings of her father's death and she stood, leaving the site of the murder behind. She left the house and made her way out of the town back to Theed.

When she arrived at the landing platform, she sighed in relief. Alana had not expected to feel the way she did after mourning her father. She was finally at peace. Shaak Ti seemed to sense this change, and she bowed to Alana, giving her a smile as the two of them boarded the ship and left Naboo and Alana's past behind.

Upon her return to Coruscant, Alana found herself busy with many duties and assignments. She began to fly off-world for most of her time, the weeks turning into months and the months turning into years. However, there was one thing that she always came back to when she returned to Coruscant.

Upon her return to Coruscant, she would bury herself deep in the archives, surrounded by files and data. Master Jocasta quickly became a good friend to her, and Alana ate up the knowledge that she gave her each day when she was on Coruscant.

There was one such day, in the year 27 BBY, where Alana was busy in the archives when she suddenly heard a young and familiar voice talking quietly nearby. She tried to ignore it for a few moments when she decided to figure out who exactly was speaking.

She rounded one of the archive shelves to see a young 10-year old Cathar, who Alana recognized as Sylvan Poreth. She was muttering to herself while pouring over a stack of files.

"Why did he have to send me down here," Sylvan was muttering to herself.

"What are you searching for, Youngling?" Alana asked, shocking Sylvan to her feet.

"Master Skywalker," the Youngling bowed, looking rather sheepish. "I didn't see you." She paused before realizing that Alana had asked her a question. "Oh, uh, well some of the Younglings in my clan received discipline for, uh, fighting in the hallway, so we got sent to the archives to meditate and study."

"I see," Alana said, trying to keep the smile from her face. When she had been Sylvan's age, she had done the same thing. "Tell me your name again?"

"Sylvan Poreth," she said. "You taught Master Plo's class a few years ago when you were a Padawan."

"Yes, yes," Alana remembered. She didn't want to give the Padawan the satisfaction of realizing that Alana remembered her very well. "How old are you now?"

"Eleven years old," Sylvan said. "I passed my Initiate Trials recently. I'll be a Padawan soon!"

"If the Force wills it," Alana added.

At her remark, Sylvan looked down at her shoes and nodded.

"You taught me about patience, Master Skywalker," she suddenly said. "And I've tried to have as much as possible, but sometimes it's hard."

Alana smiled at the girl and knelt before her.

"It's good to see that you are taking my words to heart, young Sylvan," Alana said. "And for that, I am grateful. Do you remember what I said to do when you are struggling with having patience?"

"Seek wisdom and counsel when you begin to encounter difficulties. It will always lead you to better places," Sylvan said.

"Good," Alana said, thinking momentarily. "Very good." Suddenly, she had an idea. She looked down at Sylvan and pursed her lips. "I'm glad to see your progress. I only hope that you will heed my words and seek council from Master Plo once you have finished your task."

"Thank you, Master Skywalker," Sylvan said.

"Now, if you'll excuse me," Alana said. Sylvan bowed and watched as Alana left the archives before slumping down to her books. She had always loved it when Alana would come to her classroom and teach. She made everything seem so easy, and when she had helped her, she knew exactly how to help Sylvan.

Alana made her way out of the archives, momentarily forgetting her studies in the back of the archives, she whizzed past Master Jocasta, who peered over her desk at the sight of Alana making her way quickly out of the archives.

"Thank you, Master," Alana said in passing. "I'll be back tomorrow."

"Oh, alright then," Master Jocasta said, watching as Alana disappeared around the corner.

Alana made her way up to the High Council room, where she knew they were currently in session, and she waited patiently outside the doors, eager to speak to the Council. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to quiet her mind so that she could confirm what she had only just discovered.

"Alana," a voice shook her from her thoughts. "The Council will see you."

Alana looked up to see her old Master looking down at her, a knowing look spread across his face. He must have sensed her coming. She followed him into the chambers and went to the center of the room, bowing before them.

"Sensed you coming, we did," Master Yoda said. "Eager to speak, you must be."

Alana took a deep breath before nodding.

"Yes," she began. "I did not mean to interrupt, but I have just come from speaking with the person who I would like to take on as a Padawan Learner."

The Council all exchanged glances before Master Plo suddenly spoke.

"Young Sylvan Poreth?" He asked for confirmation, startling Alana slightly.

"Why yes," Alana said. "I had felt a connection when she was younger when I taught her Youngling class five years ago. At the time, I was still a Padawan myself and not wise enough or prepared enough to even think about taking on a Padawan, but as the time has gone by, I find myself ready to take her on."

"Master Plo, anything to say, have you?" Master Yoda asked.

"The Youngling Sylvan is very strong-willed and quick to action. She has much to learn and will present you with a challenge, but I sense that you have much to teach her," Master Plo said. "I approve of this pairing."

"Thank you," Alana said, bowing to him.

"Does the Council agree with this choice?" Master Windu asked. The Council members all nodded their heads. "Then it is decided. Tomorrow, Sylvan Poreth will become an apprentice and Padawan Learner to Alana Skywalker."

Alana bowed. "Thank you, Masters," she said before turning and leaving the room. But before she could leave, Master Plo called to her. 

"Send Sylvan to the Council chamber," he said. Alana nodded and left the room.

She made her way back to the archives where she found Sylvan sitting and reading her materials. Her thoughts were deeply tangled in the files when she realized that Alana was back. She looked up and smiled at Alana.

"Hello, Master Skywalker," she said. "You're back!"

"Yes, Sylvan. And I have news for you," she said. "I just came from speaking with the Council. They wish to see you."

Alana watched Sylvan's face drop.

"It's not because of the whole fighting thing, is it?" She asked quietly, slumping in her chair.

"No, young one, it is not," Alana replied. "You are to become a Padawan beginning tomorrow."

"What?" Sylvan exclaimed, her eyes widening as she looked up to Alana in wonder. "Really? To who?"

"You will be my apprentice," Alana said, allowing a kind smile to spread across her face at Sylvan's excitement. "I expect you to meet me outside of my room at 8 o'clock tomorrow morning. Can you do that?"

"Yes! Yes!" Sylvan exclaimed, standing up and almost jumping for joy.

"Now, once you have calmed down, the Council would like to speak with you, so go quickly and listen to what they have to tell you," Alana said. Sylvan immediately quieted and nodded, bowing to Alana.

"Yes, Master Skywalker," Sylvan said. She turned to go and walked quickly down the archive shelves before disappearing out of sight.

Alana shook her head and laughed to herself at Sylvan's excitement. She had felt the same way when Master Windu had approached her to inform her of her apprenticeship with him. She had wanted to shout for joy, but he had terrified her too much.

"Just wait, Sylvan, just you wait."


	12. Reunited

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> NOTE: I am also posting this story on Wattpad under the same username writer_rach and the same fanfic name. I have included pictures with each chapter there if anyone is interested in checking out my works on that platform!

The years flew by, with Sylvan growing exponentially under Alana's tutelage. Sylvan adored her master, trying her best to please her as much as she could.

It was one such day that showed Sylvan's newfound knowledge when they were doing fieldwork on the moon Alaris Prime. They had been deep in the forest for many days, seeking to find a group of Wookiees who had lost contact with the main camps on the moon for nearly two weeks.

Alana led the way, remaining on high alert as they made their way through the forest. Sylvan followed closely behind her. Sylvan could sense something following them in the forest line, and she whispered.

"There's something out there."

"Good, you sense it too," Alana said. "We must press on. It does not seem to be a danger to us yet," she said, looking over her shoulder at her Padawan, who wrinkled her cat-like nose slightly, her biological senses taking in the smells and her ears twitching at the sounds of the forest.

"I don't like it," Sylvan muttered. "What do you think it wants?"

"It's hunting us," Alana said matter-of-factly. "Do you remember what creatures hunt in the forest on Alaris Prime, my young Padawan?"

"Really, Master?" Sylvan asked, pausing for a second. "You're going to quiz me right now?"

Alana turned, an eyebrow raised at her apprentice, who bit her lip, realizing the way she had just spoken to her master.

"Keep moving," Alana said sternly, her voice reminding her of the way her old master would speak to her when she questioned him.

"I'm sorry, Master," Sylvan said. "They're gundarks."

"Correct," Alana said, pushing through the brush and branches. "And what can you tell me about them?"

"They're big, ugly, difficult to defeat, and not all that pleasant," Sylvan replied.

"You would be correct. But what is the one thing that they can't do?"

Sylvan thought for a moment as she jumped over a fallen tree. Her silence continued, clearly having forgotten her studies. Alana looked back and shook her head.

"Are you tired, my young Padawan?"

"No, no," Sylvan said, shaking her head. "I just- I suppose I didn't look at the information on gundarks as well as I thought I had."

"They can't climb," Alana said. "And based on the sounds that are approaching us, I think it's best we climb now."

Alana suddenly jumped up into the tree that she had paused below, and Sylvan followed suit, hopping up beside her master. The two of them climbed up a ways before finally stopped. Sylvan looked down and clenched her jaw when she saw the creatures below them.

The gundarks were circling the tree, clawing up at it, and whining and growling ferociously. Suddenly, one of them jumped and caught onto a branch, managing to stand firmly on it before looking up at the two Jedi who were perched in the tree.

"Uh, Master," Sylvan said. "I thought you said they couldn't climb."

"Well, Sylvan, it appears that I may have been wrong," Alana said, raising an eyebrow. "I suppose it's time to go, then," she said, standing up on her branch, balancing perfectly.

"Go where?" Sylvan asked, looking around them. The nearest tree was tiny and most likely wouldn't hold either of their weight.

"Down, of course," Alana said. "You know how to use a lightsaber, don't you? Or have I failed you in your training?"

Sylvan looked over at her master and sighed before moving out to the edge of her branch.

"You'll be right behind me?" She asked, looking down at the gundark in the tree and its two companions below before looking back over at Alana. Alana made a shooing motion with her hand.

"Right behind you," she replied.

Sylvan nodded and then dropped down to the ground, rolling away from the tree, behind one of the gundarks. She ignited her lightsaber and sliced off one of the gundarks' arms. It howled in pain, gaining the attention of the other two gundarks, who turned to Sylvan and growled.

"Uh, Master, a little help here?" She called up to Alana, who was still perched in the tree, watching the action below.

"You've got it!" Alana called as one of the gundarks attacked Sylvan.

The Cathar managed to slip out of the way, dodging the gundarks' attacks. She fought them off for a moment, before realizing that her master was no longer in the tree, but she also couldn't see Alana on the ground.

"Master?" Sylvan called before finally killing one of the gundarks.

Just as she had done so, the second gundark's attacks came even more ferociously than before. Sylvan could barely hold her ground against it. She felt herself losing ground, and she knew that if she didn't kill one of the gundarks soon, she would be pinned between them.

"Master!!" Sylvan called again, frustrated that Alana had just disappeared.

She managed to kick one of the gundarks back and sliced through it with her lightsaber, but she was clawed from behind, a slaw shredding her robes and taking some of her skin and fur too. Sylvan felt to the ground, with a cry of pain. Her lightsaber tumbled out of her hands and disappeared into the tall grasses. She looked up to see the last gundark leaning over her, its claws ready to shred her to pieces when suddenly, a green lightsaber cut through the gundark, making it fall to the ground.

As the gundark fell, behind it stood Alana, surrounded by a small group of Wookies. Sylvan's face went from one of fear to one of surprise to one of frustration.

"I thought you had it?" Alana said, placing her lightsaber back onto her belt.

Sylvan was smarting from the cuts on her back and from Alana's remark.

"I never said I had it, I asked you for help, Master," Sylvan said. "How did you find them?"

"The gundarks hadn't been the ones tracking us, Sylvan. The Wookies were," Alana said. "They didn't want to meet us because they thought the tracks belonged to the gundarks."

"Oh," Sylvan said. "Why didn't I sense that, then?"

"Because you weren't listening hard enough," Alana said. "But you did a good job with the gundarks, I might say," Alana looked around at the animals before turning to the Wookies. "We need to take you back to the main camp."

The Wookies roared at them and nodded. As they turned and made their way in the direction of the camp, Alana looked to see Sylvan looking for her lightsaber in the grass. After finding it, she placed it in her belt and looked over at her master.

"Once we get back, we should see to the cuts on your back," Alana said. "Here, let's wrap them quickly for now."

The two of them wrapped Sylvan's back up quickly before racing to catch up with the Wookies. They trudged along in silence for a while before Alana spoke, sensing her Padawan's confusion and frustration.

"You did well, Sylvan," Alana said, the teasing from earlier replaced with gentleness. "You held off the gundarks for quite some time while I went and found the Wookies. I would not have left you alone if I did not believe you could handle it."

"Thank you, Master," Sylvan replied, still frustrated with what had happened.

"What is bothering you, then?" Alana asked.

"It's just," Sylvan began, trying to find the right words to describe how she felt. "We've been in the forest for days, and when the Wookies began to track us, I let my imagination run wild with what it could be. I became fearful of it."

"I see," Alana said, choosing her words carefully. "Fear is the path to the dark side, Sylvan. This is something you have been told since you were a Youngling, yes?"

Sylvan nodded.

"Do you trust me enough to trust in the skills I have taught you?"

Again, Sylvan nodded, shuffling her feet in the grass. She could not meet her Master's eyes.

"Then you have no reason to fear, Sylvan. And you have no reason to fear death either," Alana added. "I used to fear death, you know."

Sylvan looked to her master, her eyes wide. Alana rarely mentioned her faults to anyone, in particular, her own Padawan. Sylvan always revered her master, not used to thinking that Alana had once been a Padawan herself.

"I fled from it all the time, especially when I left the Order," Alana shook her head. "I lost my father at a young age and ever since then, the fear of death and fear of others dying plagued my every moment, waking or sleeping. Then, when a dear friend of mine, Master Qui-Gon Jinn passed, I realized that his passing was not the end. He is now more at peace than he ever was, for now, he is one with the Force."

"Death is not the end?" Sylvan asked.

"Of course not, Sylvan," Alana said. "Remember your teachings from when you were a Youngling. Do not have fear, let the ways of the Force be your guide."

"Yes, Master," Sylvan said, her mind and heart finally settling at her Master's words.

"Now, we have a few days journey ahead of us, Sylvan," Alana said. "Stay vigilant in your thoughts and they will guide us back to the camp."

And so they went on, with Sylvan thinking back on all her teachings, gaining back the confidence that she had had before their mission, and she let her mind seek out the Force and let it guide her back to the camp. 

After a few days, they finally reached the camp, and while Sylvan left to get her injuries looked at, Alana went to the Wookies communication tower to contact members of the Council.

The holographic image of her the Masters came upon her communication device and Alana bowed.

"Hello, Masters," she said. Master Windu, Master Plo, and Master Mundi nodded to her.

"Hello, Alana," Master Windu said. "Good to hear from you. How was your mission on Alaris Prime?"

"It was successful. My Padawan performed well under pressure during an attack by a group of gundarks," she said, eager to compliment Sylvan. "The Wookies have safely been returned to the base camp, and we are awaiting further instructions on our next assignment."

"Actually, Skywalker, the Council would like you to return to Coruscant for some time," Master Mundi said. "There has been a special request made of you, and we would like to discuss it in person."

"I see," Alana said. "My Padawan and I will return shortly."

"We will see you soon," Master Windu spoke before Alana bowed and watched as the holograph disappeared from her screen. She turned and spoke to the leader of the Wookie outpost before making her way down to the medical facility.

She entered and saw Sylvan standing from her bed, in a new set of robes. Alana smiled.

"Good to see you looking better," she said. "Are you well enough to leave?"

"Of course, Master," Sylvan said.

The High Council has called us back to Coruscant, so we must make haste," Alana said.

"What?" Sylvan asked, moving towards her Master. "Do you know why?"

"No, unfortunately, we are already late. He's summoned a handful of other Jedi as well, not exactly sure exactly who or why," she muttered. "We should get going soon. I am going to grab the rest of my things and clean up, then we'll rendezvous at the ship in twenty minutes."

"Yes, Master," Sylvan bowed as the two parted ways yet again. Sylvan went to the loading docks, checking over the plane while Alana went and washed up after their ten-day journey in the forests of Alaris Prime.

Once all was ready, the Wookies roared their thanks to the two Jedi before they boarded their ship, both eager to return to Coruscant. Alana allowed Sylvan to pilot their small ship away from the moon and into hyperspace. The two of them had very little need for talking, as they had shared much of their thoughts over the past few years and were happy to sit in comfortable silence together.

After a few hours in the ship, they finally came out of hyperspace and were cleared to descend to Coruscant, a bustling sight that Alana had grown quite fond of the more time she spent away from Coruscant.

Their ship was cleared to land in the Jedi Temple hangars, and Sylvan brought the ship down very smoothly. It was clear that flying was something she excelled at, even if she had only been flying for a few years, being only sixteen years old. The two of them got out of the ship and left it to the droids for any fuel replenishing or repairs while they quickly made their way up towards the elevator.

Alana picked up her pace, her Padawan beginning to lag behind her. They made their way onto an elevator and towards the Senate, with Alana pacing slightly from wall to wall, sensing two faint but familiar presences on Coruscant. Sylvan stood close by the door, eager to get off, as turbolift and elevator rides were quickly becoming one of her least favorite activities.

"Master, what do you think is going on?" Sylvan finally asked, breaking their silence.

"Speculation leads to disappointment, Sylvan. We shall just have to find out once we arrive," she said just as the elevator arrived on the right level. "Remember-"

"Be patient," Sylvan repeated, trying desperately not to roll her eyes as they stepped off the elevator. That phrase was one that Alana managed to drill into her mind every second of every day, and it was not one that the teenage Cathar liked very much.

Just as they rounded the corner, Alana's eyes widened at the sight in front of her. It was none other than Obi-Wan Kenobi, who had recently been promoted to being a Jedi Master, and beside him was a young man, who Alana recognized as her brother.

They had not seen each other since the night Alana and Obi-Wan had agreed to part from each other, and that it was best if Anakin and Alana were split up.

"Anakin?" She asked, causing the two Jedi who were standing outside the Council chambers to look up.

"Alana!" Anakin exclaimed, making his way towards his sister. They embraced quickly, with Alana incredibly surprised at how different he looked. He had grown up.

"It has been far too long, Ani," she said, using her brother's nickname and making him smile. "You've changed a lot since the last time we saw each other."

"You've gotten wrinkles," Anakin mocked her, laughing at his own joke and causing Alana to roll her eyes.

"Anakin, you must respect your elders," Obi-Wan's voice came from behind him. "If not only for them but for your physical health too. She might smack you with her lightsaber for that," he joked.

"It's good to see you, Obi-Wan," Alana said, bowing to him just as he did. She stepped back to reveal Sylvan, who was watching on with amusement. "This is my Padawan, Sylvan Poreth, who has been with me for five years now."

"I have heard much about you, Anakin, and you, Master Kenobi," she said, bowing to them. "Master Alana speaks highly of you."

"I hope she does," Anakin replied.

Alana took a moment to really look at him. He still sported short hair, his Padawan Learner braid much longer than Alana had thought it would be. Happy to see that her brother seemed to be happy and healthy, her gaze then turned to Obi-Wan. He had aged slightly, but still as handsome as ever. His steel-blue eyes glistened in the light of the hallway, and Alana's heart fluttered slightly. She clenched her jaw, forcing herself to draw her attention away from his features.

"Were you both called to the Council?" Alana asked.

"Yes, we were, a sort of special assignment, per the request of the Chancellor," Obi-Wan said. "Not exactly sure what, they wanted to wait until we were in the Council room."

"Interesting, we were told the same thing," Alana said.

The group of four looked up when the door to the Council room opened. They were beckoned in and the four went to the center of the room, facing Grand Master Yoda. Alana noted that a handful of the Council members were being holographed into the meeting as they were absent on other missions.

"Thank you for joining us, Obi-Wan, Alana, young Padawans," Master Windu said. "Your missions on Ansion and Alaris Prime respectively were well done. Now you are being charged with a new task. The four of you must coordinate and provide security for Senator Amidala due to recent events. Her ship was recently attacked upon her arrival to discuss the arms bill in the senate. Chancellor Palpatine specifically requested Obi-Wan and Alana to oversee her safety until the bill has been decided."

"Yes, Master," Alana said, bowing. Obi-Wan and the two Padawans followed suit.

"May the Force be with you," Master Windu said, with some members of the Council echoing his sentiments as the four of them left the room. They made their way down the hall towards the elevator when Sylvan suddenly spoke.

"Four Jedi? Isn't that a bit-" she trailed off for a moment, trying to choose the best word. "Overkill?"

"Technically, the Chancellor asked for the two of us," Alana said. "And I suppose you and Anakin are simply going to tag along and learn how to do security for a politician. Unless you'd prefer to stay here and go back to the archives and reread through all the data entries on gundarks like I told you to before leaving for Alaris Prime?"

"No, Master," Sylvan said quickly and snapping her mouth shut. She looked over at Anakin, who had a smile on his face when he listened to his sister.

"She's changed," he whispered to Sylvan as the group got onto the elevator. "She used to do hand-to-hand fighting on Tatooine, you know. Bit of a badass," he said, hoping Alana wouldn't hear. She didn't. She and Obi-Wan were too busy discussing logistics for keeping the Senator safe. The group made their way out of the elevator and out to a shuttle that was headed for the Senate Building.

"You're kidding," Sylvan said. That was one thing Alana had never told her. "Now she makes me do all the fighting until the last minute."

"Trust me," Anakin said as the shuttle took off. "Just wait till you see her in action."

"What are you two going on about?" Obi-Wan's voice suddenly interrupted their conversation. "I should hope that you have been listening to us, but it does not seem that way."

"Oh hush, Obi-Wan," Alana said. "It's been nearly a year since Sylvan's seen another Jedi outside of me, so I shouldn't blame anyone but myself for their chatter."

Obi-Wan gave Alana a look before shaking his head, a smile forming on his face. It was very clear how the two of them had immediately rekindled their friendship after over seven years of not seeing each other.

As the four of them arrived at the Senate building, Alana and Obi-Wan got out of the shuttle, Anakin and Sylvan following suit, this time much quieter than before.

"When was the last time you saw the Senator?" Alana asked.

"Since the invasion of Naboo," Obi-Wan admitted. "What about you?"

"A few years ago, I went and helped to solve a mining dispute between the Naboo and the Gungans," Alana shook her head. "But it has been a while."

As they made their way into yet another elevator, Alana turned to the Padawans, who both seemed a bit antsy as they made their way up.

"Now why are you two on edge?" Alana asked.

"I dislike elevators," Sylvan said, fidgeting again with her robes. 

"I see," Alana said, shaking her head and raising an eyebrow at her brother. "And you?"

"I'm not on edge," Anakin replied.

"I haven't felt you this tense since-" Obi-Wan paused. "Well, since we fell into that nest of gundarks."

"Gundarks?" Alana asked. "We had an episode with those recently."

"No, Master," Sylvan said. "I had an episode with them recently. You vanished to find the Wookies."

"I helped," Alana said before turning to Anakin. "Tell me about this nest of gundarks."

"Well, Master," Anakin said, using Alana's formal title. "Master Obi-Wan fell into that nightmare, and I rescued him," he said before turning to Obi-Wan. "Remember?"

"Oh, yes," Obi-Wan said before chuckling at the memory and making Anakin shake his head in laughter too. He looked back at Anakin and raised an eyebrow. "You're sweating. Relax. Take a deep breath."

"I haven't seen her in ten years, Master," Anakin said.

Alana shook her head at how nervous her brother was to see Padme again. As the turbolift stopped, the doors opened to reveal none other than Jar-Jar Binks standing nearby.

"Obi? Lanie?" Jar-Jar cried, grabbing ahold of Obi-Wan's hand and shaking it viciously while Anakin stepped out of the elevator.

Alana took a deep breath before plastering on a smile and looking to Sylvan.

"Well, Sylvan," she said. "I think we're in for a very interesting time."


	13. Protection

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (Author's Note: I am so sorry this is a later update, I have had final papers I've been working on this week, so probably won't post until next week. For now, I hope you enjoy! Please don't forget to comment and leave a kudos if you haven't already! -Rach)

After being nearly strangled by Jar-Jar in a hug, Alana was ready to move into the other room and greet the Senator. Luckily, that was exactly what they did. The group moved into the adjacent room.

"Senator Padme! Lookie! Theysa Jedi bein here!" Jar-Jar exclaimed loudly.

Alana spotted Padme out on a balcony speaking with someone.

"Hello, Senator," Obi-Wan said as Padme came into the room, a woman and a security guard by her side. She was a bit alarmed at the number of Jedi that stood before her, but she quickly regained her composure as Alana and Obi-Wan bowed to her.

"It's a great pleasure to see you again, milady," Obi-Wan said, offering his hand for the Senator to shake.

"It has been far too long, Master Kenobi, Master Skywalker," Padme said, a smile on her face before looking behind them and seeing Anakin. "Ani? My goodness, you've grown."

"So have you," Anakin replied, stepping forward. "Grown more beautiful, I mean. Well, f-for a senator, I mean," he was stumbling over his words, making Alana cringe at his manners.

"Oh Ani, you'll always be that little boy I knew on Tatooine," she said, turning her attention to Sylvan, who was standing just behind Alana's shoulder, her ears angled away from the conversation. "And who is this?"

Sylvan's ears perked in surprise when Senator Amidala spoke to her.

"Sylvan Poreth," Sylvan spoke, bowing to her. "I am Master Skywalker's apprentice."

"That's wonderful," Padme said before turning and making her way to the seating in the middle of the room.

As the group followed, Obi-Wan spoke.

"Our presence here will be invisible, milady, I can assure you," Obi-Wan said and took a seat on the couch, across from the Senator, her lady, and Jar-Jar. Alana found herself sitting 

"I'm Captain Typho of Her Majesty's security service," the guard suddenly spoke, choosing to stand beside the Senator. He looked more than happy to have the Jedi there. "Queen Jamilla has been informed of your assignment. I am grateful you are here, Master Skywalker, Master Kenobi."

He made a glance at Padme before continuing.

"The situation is more dangerous than the senator will admit."

"I don't need more security," Padme said, looking across the tables at the Jedi. "I need answers. I want to know who's trying to kill me."

"I'm sorry, Senator," Alana said respectfully. "We are only here to protect you."

"An investigation is not in our mandate," Obi-Wan added.

"We will find out who's trying to kill you, Padme," Anakin spoke up. "I promise you."

The group all seemed astonished by Anakin's blatant disobedience, in particular, Alana, as she couldn't believe the change Anakin had gone through the last time she had seen him. She felt Obi-Wan tense up beside her, turning to Anakin and speaking.

"We will not exceed our mandate, my young Padawan learner."

"I meant that in the interest of protecting her, Master, of course," Anakin retorted.

"We will not go through this exercise again, Anakin," Obi-Wan said. "And you will pay attention to my lead."

"Why?" Anakin muttered.

"What?" Sylvan sputtered. If she questioned her Master like that, she had no doubt that there would have been many repercussions. Alana placed her hand on Sylvan's arm, motioning for her to stay out of the argument between Obi-Wan and Anakin.

"Why else do you think that all of us were assigned to her, if not to find the killer?" Anakin asked, looking between Obi-Wan and Alana. "Protection is a job for local security, not Jedi. It's overkill, Master. An investigation is implied in our mandate."

Alana could feel Obi-Wan's frustration and Anakin's anger radiating in the room around them. Anakin had no place speaking in this way, and she was about to speak up when Obi-Wan finished the conversation.

"We will do exactly as the council has instructed. And you will learn your place, young one," Obi-Wan warned.

Anakin lowered his head, understanding that he had gone too far, especially in front of the Senator and the other Jedi. Alana saw Obi-Wan clench his jaw slightly before turning back to the Senator.

"Perhaps with merely your presence the mystery surrounding this threat will be revealed. Now if you'll excuse me, I will retire," Padme stood and nodded to them, her and her handmaid making their way towards her room.

The Jedi stood and followed Captain Typho, who immediately wanted to tell them about all the precautions in place to ensure the Senator's safety.

"I know I'll feel better having you here," he said. "I'll have an officer stationed on every floor, and I'll be in the control center downstairs."

He made his way down, leaving the Jedi to their task. Alana turned and moved away from the group, Sylvan at her side. Obi-Wan and Anakin were talking with Jar-Jar.

"Master," Sylvan began, calling for Alana's attention. "Is Anakin right? About investigating being implied in our mandate?"

"No, Sylvan. Anakin is just eager to bring to justice the person who made an attempt on Senator Amidala's life. If we do find out who the killer is because of our protection, then yes, we will bring that person to justice. But we may simply be tasked with protection."

"Yes, Master," Sylvan looked back at the brooding Anakin, with Obi-Wan at his side.

After Alana and Sylvan made their way back to Obi-Wan and Anakin as Jar-Jar left the room.

"I'd like to check the security," Alana said to the other Jedi.

"A good idea, Alana," Obi-Wan said. The four of them made their way around the floor, checking each guard post and eventually making their way down to the command center just as the sun began to set.

"Sylvan," Alana spoke as they gathered outside the command center. "Why don't you return to the Senator's floor and finalize the security of her room before she goes to sleep?"

"Yes, Master," Sylvan bowed and turned to go.

"Anakin, go with her. The two of you can watch out up there while Alana and I finish up here. We'll do a patrol of the floors and then meet back up top shortly."

Anakin bowed, and the two Padawans made their way up towards the Senator's room and Obi-Wan and Alana stood outside the control center.

"After you, Alana," Obi-Wan motioned towards the doors.

Alana smiled and the two of them entered the command center. There were three people, Captain Typho and two security guards watching the cameras on all of the floors in all of the rooms, watching for any sign of movement or anything at all.

"Hello Master Jedi," Captain Typho said. "Is everything satisfactory?"

"Of course," Alana said. "You have done an excellent job protecting the Senator."

"Alana and I have sent the Padawans to the Senator's rooms to make sure that her room is safe at all times. I think it would be wise to have rotating shifts in order to ensure that the Senator is never left alone."

"They are going to have cameras set up in her room, and we'll be able to look in them with a monitor," Alana added. "She will be very safe."

"Thank you for your help, Master Jedi," Captain Typho said.

"We are going to patrol the downstairs and then we will return to where the Senator is," Obi-Wan said.

They bowed to the Captain and left the command center. The two of them walked in silence for a moment before Obi-Wan suddenly spoke.

"You seem well."

"Yes, I suppose I am," Alana replied. "What about you?"

Obi-Wan thought in silence for a moment.

"It's Ani, isn't it?" Alana said. "He troubles you."

Obi-Wan looked at Alana and nodded, his hands clasped in front of him as they walked.

"He doesn't listen," Obi-Wan shook his head. "Sometimes I feel as though I have failed him by not making him listen."

Alana reached over and touched his arm gently.

"He is troubled," she said. "I can feel it when I am with him. There is something that's bothering him."

"It's his mother," Obi-Wan said. "Your mother."

"What do you mean? Shmi?" Alana asked, her eyebrows furrowing.

"He's been having these nightmares about her death. They're playing in his head over and over again. He barely sleeps," Obi-Wan said. "Unfortunately, these dreams happen. I can only hope that they go away in time."

"That is troubling news," Alana said. "I had vivid nightmares of my father being murdered after his death, even though I did not know for sure whether it was true at the time," she shook her head and looked down, her worry for Shmi growing. "I can only hope that that is not true for my mother."

"I'm sure it isn't, Alana," Obi-Wan said. "Do not worry yourself over these dreams. They will pass, I am sure of it."

"I hope so," Alana said quietly.

The pair walked on their senses on high alert for any intruders or assassins. As they rounded one of the corners to make their way towards the elevators, Alana suddenly stopped him.

"Do you think we made the right decision, all those years ago to stay apart?" She asked, standing in the hall, so close to him that she could feel his breath of her cheek.

"We were young Jedi, with me just beginning as Knight, and you finishing your time as an apprentice. And we moved apart because of Anakin."

"And what of us?" Alana asked. "Did you not feel it?"

"Alana, I cannot give you the answer you want so desperately to hear," Obi-Wan said. "I cannot afford to think of how I felt back then. It was dangerous then, and it's dangerous now."

"You're right," Alana replied, stepping back from him a bit. Her feelings for him back then had developed quickly, and she had tried to keep them buried deep. It was against the code to form attachments.

"Come," Obi-Wan said gently, trying to change the subject. "We should check on our Padawans and the Senator."

"Of course," Alana replied, plastering a half-hearted smile on her face as they made their way up to the Senator's rooms. They entered the room, seeing Sylvan and Anakin posted in the middle, standing still, both absorbed in listening. When they saw their Masters, they approached as Obi-Wan and Alana removed their robes.

"Captain Typho has more than enough men downstairs," Alana said. "No assassin would try that way."

"Any activity up here?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Silent," Sylvan said.

"Quiet as a tomb," Anakin added. "I don't like just waiting here for something to happen to her."

"Let's check the monitor, then," Alana said, assuming that Sylvan and Anakin had done what they had planned. Sylvan handed the monitor to Obi-Wan sheepishly. As Obi-Wan opened it, it made a crackling noise, startling Alana slightly.

"What's going on?" He asked.

"She covered the cameras," Sylvan said. "I don't think she liked the idea of us watching her."

"What is she thinking?" Alana demanded, making her way closer to the Senator's room, preparing to go in and uncover the cameras.

"She programmed R2 to warn us if there is an intruder," Anakin called to his sister.

"There are many ways to kill a senator, Ani," Alana turned and chided her brother.

"I know," but we also want to catch this assassin, don't we, Master?" Anakin said, using Alana's title instead of her name. It felt a little cold to her, the way he had been treating her.

"You're using her as bait?" Obi-Wan asked as the group moved over to where Alana was standing outside the hallway that led to the Senator's room.

"It was her idea!" Both the Padawans exclaimed.

"Don't worry, no harm will come to her," Anakin said. "I can sense everything going on in that room. Trust me."

"It's too risky. Besides, your senses aren't that attuned, my young apprentice," Obi-Wan said, causing Alana to roll her eyes.

She had begun to notice that every time that Anakin boasted or became out of line, Obi-Wan would always refer to him as 'apprentice' or 'young one' or some other term that denoted his status as a younger member of the Jedi Order. A part of her felt that that was demeaning Anakin's status as Obi-Wan used it quite frequently, but she also knew that Anakin needed to be kept in check.

"And yours are?" Anakin asked.

"Possibly," Obi-Wan replied, his arms crossed his chest.

Alana took that moment to step away from the two who began to have their own debate between each other, and Sylvan stepped away with her. The two of them moved to the couch and sat cross-legged. Sylvan took this as a sign to meditate and closed her eyes, listening and reaching out into the Force, but Alana couldn't focus.

The sounds around her, with Anakin and Obi-Wan's voices mixed with the sounds of the airways below and above them distracted her. Instead, she began to think of her conversation with Obi-Wan.

He had admitted that he too had at once harbored feelings for her, but he did not wish to bring them up again. Alana knew that if the did not confront their feelings, it would turn into something rash, and she did not like the idea of that.

Her mind went to every moment they had spent with each other, the talks, his skin touching hers gently, the way he smiled and laughed with her, and most of all, the way he looked at her. His steel-blue eyes were full of joy and compassion and admiration. She could get lost in them forever. Her eyes flickered open and she looked over to him, seeing that he was looking right back at her as if he could hear her thoughts.

When their eyes met, he immediately looked away, not wanting to look her in the eyes. After a moment, Alana looked away and closed her eyes. She heard Anakin leave Obi-Wan's side and go out onto the balcony for some air. Her eyes flickered open and she stood to go and join him.

As she stepped out onto the balcony to finally have a private conversation with her brother, she could see the distress on his face. In the moonlight, he was much more exhausted and drained than she had thought.

"What is it, Ani?" She spoke.

Anakin turned his head slightly, acknowledging his sister's presence.

"I don't sleep well anymore," he said quietly. "I have nightmares."

"Obi-Wan mentioned them to me. He said they were about Mom?" Alana stepped up beside him and placed her hand on his on the balcony, wanting to show her support for him as a sister.

Anakin's eyes flickered down to her hands and then out over the bustling landscape of Coruscant.

"It's always the same," Anakin said, clenching his jaw. "She's there, in my arms, she's in pain, she's crying out for us. Even in my waking moments, I can hear her."

"I know how you feel," Alana whispered. "I had nightmares about my Father a long time ago. I only wish that there was something I could do to put your mind at ease."

Anakin shook his head and gave Alana a half-hearted smile, squeezing her hand in his before letting go of it.

"Dreams pass in time," Obi-Wan's voice came over to them. He stood in the doorway to the balcony, his arms crossed his chest. He must have heard their conversation.

"I'd much rather dream about Padme," Anakin said, making his way back into the room. "Just being around her again is intoxicating."

Alana could feel Obi-Wan's gaze on her at Anakin's words.

"Be mindful of your thoughts, Anakin," Obi-Wan said. "They betray you," he looked to Alana again as they entered the room and were joined again by Sylvan. "You've made a commitment to the Jedi order, a commitment not easily broken. And don't forget, she's a politician, and they're not to be trusted."

Obi-Wan was right. Even if Padme was kind to them, there was no way to tell if she had her hands into any kind of dirty secret plot behind the scenes. There were a lot of things that Alana didn't like, and politicians were at the top of her list.

"She's not like the others in the senate, Master," Anakin replied.

"In my experience, Anakin, senators focus only on pleasing those who fund their campaigns, and they're in no means scared of forgetting the niceties of democracy in order to get those funds," Alana said, which caused Obi-Wan to smile wide and Anakin to roll his eyes.

"You do realize how much you sound like Master Kenobi right now?"

"She gives me these lectures all the time," Sylvan said to Anakin before noting the eyebrow raise on Alana's face. "Not that I mind them that much."

"I don't want another lecture," Anakin said. "Please? At least not on the economics of politics."

"And besides, you're generalizing," Anakin added. "The chancellor doesn't appear to be corrupt." Alana raised an eyebrow at Anakin's statement. She did agree with him, Chancellor Palpatine had been by far one of the best chancellors the Republic had known.

"Palpatine is a politician," Obi-Wan retorted. "I have observed that he is very clever in following the passions and the prejudices of the senators."

"I think he's a good man. My-"

Alana suddenly felt a cold chill in the Force, and she could sense the danger in Padme's room. She turned to the room as Obi-Wan spoke.

"I sense it too," he said, and the four of them raced into the Senator's room.

Anakin ignited his lightsaber and jumped onto the Senator's bed, slicing two small snail-like creatures in half and sending them flying across the room. The commotion woke the Senator, but Alana was too focused on the droid that was attached to the window to notice the commotion in the room.

Suddenly, Obi-Wan stepped back and jumped through the window and onto the drone, clinging to it for dear life.

"What the hell was that?" Alana almost ripped her hair out in frustration at Obi-Wan's insanity. She turned to Sylvan and shouted.

"Sylvan, stay with the senator! Anakin, with me!" She raced off to find a speeder. She shook her head as she sped down to the docking area. "You know, I was really hoping this would be a quiet night."


	14. The Chase

"He always does this!" Anakin yelled as they raced to a speeder, getting into a bright yellow one and taking off, despite protests. Alana sighed as Anakin started the speeder and they rushed off into the traffic of the city, weaving in and around them.

"Have you spotted him yet?" Alana shouted over the noises of the city. She was looking all around, trying to locate the droid with Obi-Wan hopefully still attached to it. Finally, she spotted something falling towards the city. It was Obi-Wan.

"There!" She shouted.

"I see him!" Anakin said, immediately turning and pushing the speeder into a nosedive. He managed to position himself under Obi-Wan, and he landed on the back of the speeder. Alana sighed in relief as he climbed up into the seats. She scooted over, allowing him to squeeze in beside her. The speeder was meant for just two. 

"What took you so long?" Obi-Wan demanded as Anakin took off.

"Oh, you know, Master. I couldn't find a speeder that I really liked," Anakin began, causing Alana to roll her eyes. Obi-Wan looked down and suddenly pointed towards a sleek-looking ship that was careening away from them.

"There he is!"

Anakin followed after the ship before continuing his cheeky response.

"With the open cockpit and the right speed capabilities."

"Anakin, watch out!" Alana said as they narrowly avoided missing a freighter.

"If you spent as much time practicing your saber techniques as you do your wit, you would rival Master Yoda as a swordsman," Obi-Wan said, the end of his phrase getting weaker as suddenly Anakin increased the speed of the speeder and following after the assassin's ship.

"I thought I already did," Anakin replied.

"Only in your mind, Anakin," Alana said, looking over at her brother, who was intently focused on avoiding all the ships as they raced along.

They weaved around ships, chasing furiously after the ship when it dove down, causing Anakin to diver after it. Alana suddenly felt herself slipping as she was not safely positioned in one of the seats. She reached out to grab something when she felt Obi-Wan's hand wrap tightly around her waist, holding onto her.

"Thanks," Alana managed to get out as they whirled around a couple of other ships when suddenly a giant transport ship came into view. It was moving fast enough that if they continued straight down towards it, they would crash.

"Pull up, Anakin!" Obi-Wan exclaimed. "Pull up!"

Anakin began to laugh beside Alana as she felt Obi-Wan's grip on her tighten. Alana tensed, preparing herself for impact when Anakin pulled up at the last second, just barely missing the ship. Obi-Wan's grip on Alana loosened, but it was evident that he was still worried.

"You know I don't like it when you do that," he shouted across Alana to Anakin.

"Sorry, Master," Anakin responded, not seeming very sorry at all. "I forgot you don't like flying."

"You don't like flying?" Alana demanded, turning to Obi-Wan, surprise etched across her face.

"No," Obi-Wan said. "I don't mind flying, but what Anakin here is doing is suicide."

Just as he said that they passed a foot away from a ship, the sound rattling Alana's bones. Alana was trying hard not to lose her focus in the comedic banter between her brother and his Master.

Suddenly, they reached the edge of the city and into a more industrial section. Alana had been here before with Master Windu to keep out a handful of drug leaders.

Anakin was weaving in and out of towers that were flaming with burnoff, trying to keep sight of the person in front of them. They were coming up on power couplings, when suddenly, Alana saw the assassin shoot a blaster shot and the power coupling began to sparkle just as the assassin passed through. It suddenly activated, and Alana felt Obi-Wan tense up again beside her. 

"Shit," Alana muttered.

"Anakin! How many times have I told you- AH!" Obi-Wan's yell pierced through his sentence as they passed through, an intense electric shock coursing through their bodies. "Stay away from the power couplings!"

"That was fun," Alana muttered, elbowing her brother lightly in the ribs, a trace electric shock coursing through her veins. She could still feel Obi-Wan's grasp around her waist as they continued.

They raced after the ship as it entered into a tunnel, but Anakin chose to pass by, and Alana smiled, realizing his plan.

"Where are you going?" Obi-Wan demanded, looking back at the tunnel. "He went that way."

"Master, if we keep this chase going any longer, that creep is gonna end up deep-fried, and personally, I'd very much like to find out who he is and who he's working for," Anakin said. "This is a shortcut. I think."

Alana could feel Obi-Wan's frustration beside her, and his fingers tapping her waist.

"You think?" He demanded.

"He's right, Obi-Wan," Alana said, looking over at Obi-Wan. "This is a shortcut. I've been here before."

Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow and looked at Alana as they pulled to a stop. He removed his arm from around her waist and crossed his arms. He looked around and shook his head

"A shortcut? Well, no matter, you've lost him," Obi-Wan said.

"I'm deeply sorry, Master," Anakin retorted.

"Some shortcut," Obi-Wan muttered. "He went completely the other way."

Alana suddenly noticed Anakin tense up as he looked over the edge of their speeder, which signaled that the ship was heading their way.

"Once again you've proved-" Obi-Wan was interrupted by Anakin suddenly leaping up from the cockpit and standing.

"If you'll excuse me," he said before suddenly leaping out of the ship.

"Anakin!" Alana exclaimed, looking over the edge of the speeder as her brother fell towards the ground below.

"I hate it when he does that," Obi-Wan said, his arms still crossed beside her.

"You let him do that kind of thing?" Alana demanded, looking back over at Obi-Wan.

"No, I don't let him," Obi-Wan said. "He just does!" He looked and noticed the ship they had been following zooming along, with blasters being fired. "Come on then! You're flying now!"

Alana took the controls and immediately put the speeder into a downwards dive, eager to catch up to her brother. She saw that he was holding onto the ship with only one hand and she pursed her lips as the assassin began to fire at him.

"Come on, then," Alana said when suddenly she saw Anakin get on top of the cockpit and ignite his lightsaber. The pale blue light flashed for a second before she saw a shiny metal object flying towards them.

"Unbelievable," Obi-Wan said as Alana positioned herself so that he could catch it. It was Anakin's lightsaber. "He knows better than that."

"It seems that you have a difficult time with Anakin as your Padawan," Alana remarked as they continued along. "If you ever want, I could have a word with him. He seems a bit-"

"I have a handle on things, thank you very much," Obi-Wan retorted.

"Sorry," Alana said when suddenly the assassin's ship began to head for the ground, black smoke billowing out behind it. It was on fire. It crashed, with Anakin dropping from the plane just before it landed. He raced after the assassin as Alana found a place to put down their speeder.

Obi-Wan and Alana jumped out of the speeder and quickly made their way towards Anakin, who was about to race into a club.

"Anakin!" Obi-Wan called.

"She went into the club, Master," he called, backpedaling towards them.

"Patience, Ani," Alana said. "Use the Force, think." She looked sternly at her brother. Anakin bit his lip and nodded.

"Sorry," he said.

"He went in there to hide, not to run," Obi-Wan said before holding up Anakin's lightsaber out for him to see. "Next time, try not to lose it. his weapon is your life."

Anakin finally took the weapon as Obi-Wan made his way into the club. He looked at his sister before speaking sullenly.

"I try, Master," he said, following Obi-Wan into the club. Alana took one look around before following in after the other two. Her senses were on high alert as they entered, but she couldn't help listening to her brother and Obi-Wan's conversation.

"Why do I get the feeling you're going to be the death of me?" Obi-Wan said.

"Don't say that, Master," Anakin replied. "You're the closest thing I have to a father."

Alana's mind flashed to her own father, Ophrion, and she pursed her lips, knowing that Anakin didn't even have a father.

"Then why don't you listen to me?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I'm trying," Anakin replied. The two of them came to a stop in front of Alana and began to scan the room. Alana stood beside her brother, pushing their words to the back of her mind so she could better focus on the task at hand.

"Can you see him?" She asked.

"I think he is a she," Anakin said. "And I think she is a changeling."

"In that case, we should be extra careful," Alana said.

"You two go and find her," Obi-Wan said.

"Whoa," Alana said. "What exactly will you be doing?"

"I'm getting a drink," Obi-Wan replied, stepping towards the bar. Alana shook her head, knowing that what he was doing was what she had done to Sylvan on Alaris Prime. 

She then exchanged looks with Anakin before taking off in separate directions. Alana scanned the room, ignoring the stares from the people around her. This was not the type of establishment Alana liked to frequent. It reminded her of her time fighting on Tatooine.

"Where oh where could you be," she whispered to herself. Then she sensed an uneasy feeling in the Force. The assassin was near.

Suddenly she heard a lightsaber ignite and she turned and made her way towards it, just in time to see Obi-Wan lifting a woman from the ground, Anakin arriving just behind her.

"Easy," Anakin said, noting the unease of the people around them. "Jedi business. Go back to your drinks."

As soon as he said that, they all turned away, leaving the three Jedi to themselves. Alana helped Obi-Wan pick up the assassin, who was now missing a hand, and he escorted her out and to a back alleyway, where he set her down on the ground so they could question her.

"Do you know who it was you were trying to kill?" Alana demanded.

"It was a senator from Naboo," the woman said, groaning in pain.

"And who hired you?" Obi-Wan asked.

"It was just a job" the assassin responded, looking between the three Jedi. Alana could feel her brother's anxiousness beside her. He wanted answers and fast.

"Who hired you?" He asked, leaning in close to the assassin. "Tell us. Tell us now!" The woman frowned before finally speaking.

"It was a bounty hunter called-"

But before she could finish, a dart was shot from behind the Jedi and the assassin began to gag.

Alana turned and looked back to see someone on top of a rooftop taking off into the air, a jetpack strapped to their back. She made to go after them, but by the time she stood, the person was gone. It was no use.

She frowned and looked back to see the woman changing back into her true form, and she dropped from Obi-Wan's arms, dead. Obi-Wan suddenly reached down and plucked the dart from the assassin's neck and held it up to the dim light coming from the club.

"A toxic dart," he said, looking back at where the assassin had been and then up at Alana. "There's nothing more we can do tonight."

"I agree," Alana said. "We should return to my Padawan and the Senator for the night."

They stood and called for the police droids to come and get the body and deal with the wreckage and the speeder that Anakin and Alana had taken from the Senator's building. A transport came and picked them up, bringing the Jedi back to the building where Padme was.

Upon their arrival, they were let in, the guard presence having been increased in their absence. They arrived at the top floor to find five guards surrounding R2, the Senator, and her handmaid, and Captain Typho and Sylvan speaking quietly with two official policemen.

Upon seeing her Master, Sylvan gave a sigh of relief.

"There you are," she said as they approached. The policemen took their leave upon seeing the Jedi. "I was beginning to worry. Did you catch the assassin?"

"Yes," Alana said. "But unfortunately for us, upon being captured, the assassin was assassinated. We think by whoever hired her."

"Oh great," Sylvan said, noting the look on her Master's face and Anakin and Obi-Wan's. Captain Typho didn't look very pleased to hear the news either.

"What about here? How's the Senator?" Alana asked, noting that Padme was asleep, her head in her handmaid, Dormé, lap, who was also sleeping, laying against the couch. Sylvan glanced back at them and pursed her lips.

"She was shaken for a little bit, as was her handmaid, but we were able to reassure them," she said. "The Senator has only just fallen back asleep after the attack. Captain Typho is very insistent on her leaving Coruscant and returning to Naboo, but she refused."

"She could be hunted off-world too," Alana said, shaking her head and looking to Obi-Wan.

"What are your plans now, Jedi?" Captain Typho asked.

"We intend on staying the night until it comes time for the Jedi Council to meet," Obi-Wan said. "We need to inform the Council of these new developments. We'll have to leave for a little while then, but we'll return."

"Alright, I'll make sure to have extra security in the morning then," Captain Typho said. "For now, I'll tell my men to rest as long as you have the room secure."

"Of course," Alana and Obi-Wan said. The security detail left the room quietly, trying hard not to wake the Senator.

"Sylvan, why don't you rest," Alana said. "You've been guarding the Senator all night. I'll wake you in a few hours."

"Anakin, you too," Obi-Wan said. "Just try to rest some."

Anakin looked as if he was about to protest, but he saw Sylvan nod to Alana and turn away, and the look that Sylvan gave him when she turned made him freeze. He was obviously exhausted, so he too nodded and turned. The two Padawan laid down on two chairs, wrapping themselves up in their cloaks while Alana and Obi-Wan sat to watch. They sat beside each other, looking out over the city for some time, watching as the night began to brighten very slowly.

"Thank you for holding onto me back there," Alana finally spoke quietly, breaking the easy silence between them. Obi-Wan looked to her and gave a small smile.

"Of course," he said.

They sat in silence for a moment longer when suddenly Obi-Wan spoke.

"I did feel it."

Alana looked over, startled and confused at what he said.

"What are you talking about?" Alana asked, seeing him looking at her.

"What you said earlier," he said. "I did feel it. An attachment. From the moment I felt your presence in the Force. Then you were fighting for your life, it terrified me, how in just a small moment I could go from being the Jedi that I was to being full of fear."

Alana looked down at her hands, realizing what he was referring to. She had begun to fall for him back then, and even now being in his presence, she was comforted and at peace. When he had jumped out of the window earlier, her heart had leaped in fear and worry at the idea of him falling to his death.

"And then on Naboo, after my Master passed, you knew how I felt and you were so warm and kind and present," he trailed off, thinking of the way she had looked on the balcony, the sweet look on her face while she had slept in his arms. But all too soon, he remembered his thoughts, and clenched his jaw, looking over at Alana. She looked at him, her blue eyes full of warmth, shining in the lights of the city. He remembered that it was forbidden.

"We're both Jedi," he reminded himself out loud. "It could never be."

"I know," Alana said, looking up at him. "But I cannot stop the way I feel."

"Once this mission is over, Anakin and I will request an assignment away from you," Obi-Wan said. "More time would do us good. We'll be able to keep these feelings from surfacing."

Alana bit her lip. His leaving would simply be an easy way to put off and push away the way they felt. To bury it deep and leave it to fester, but she didn't have the heart to argue, so she looked back out over the city.

"We should also rest," Obi-Wan said, noting the bags under her eyes. "The Padawans can take over for the time being."

"Yes," Alana whispered. "It appears that the worst of this night is over."


	15. Parting Ways

"Master," Sylvan's voice pulled Alana awake from her sleep, and she looked up from where she had sat in the corner of the room. Her Padawan was standing in front of her, looking down at Alana, an eyebrow raised in slight concern.

"Good morning," Alana said, stretching and standing from where she had rested after her shift with Obi-Wan. She quickly tied her hair back up into a tight braid while Sylvan spoke.

"Glad to see you awake," Sylvan said. "I was beginning to wonder if I needed to find a new Master," she joked, letting out a small laugh before seeing the look on Alana's face.

"Someone's been spending too much time with Anakin," Alana said. She noted the look on Sylvan's face before looking around at the room. Obi-Wan and Anakin were standing out on the balcony, and a new group of guards had just arrived up to her quarters, Captain Typho among them.

"We're all set here, Master Jedi," Captain Typho's said. "The Senator will be attending the Senate meeting this morning, and we will be there until this afternoon, as much as I don't like the idea of her staying here."

"Of course," Obi-Wan said as the Jedi came into the center of the room. His eyes flickered over to Alana, who was paying attention intently on what Captain Typho was saying.

"We will let the Council know of the situation. They may advise a new course of action regarding Senator Amidala's safety," Alana said and the Jedi bowed, leaving the room and the Senator safely in Captain Typho's hands.

After departing from Senator Amidala's quarters, the group made their way to a transport that would take them to the Jedi Temple. Upon arriving at the Jedi Temple, they had some time before the Council was expecting them, so the four made their way to the refectory to get something to eat, as it had been a long night.

When they arrived, Sylvan spotted a few other Padawans from her Youngling class who she had not seen, and Alana gave her permission to go. She was about to leave when she realized Anakin would be sitting with his Master.

"Anakin," Sylvan said. "Would you like to come with us?" She asked. Even though her class was a few years younger than Anakin, they were all Padawans, and it was a rare thing for Anakin to bond with others his own age.

"Go," Obi-Wan instructed, waving them both off. Anakin and Sylvan made their way over to the table, food in hand and sat down with the small group of Padawans.

Alana noted that Barriss Offee, Luminara's Padawan, was among the group of Padawans, and she scanned Jedi spread throughout the refectory. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Luminara sitting alone. She veered off from where Obi-Wan was heading to sit, and she came alongside Luminara's table.

"May I?" Alana asked.

Luminara looked up to see her friend and smiled.

"Alana! It is wonderful to see you," she said, motioning for her to sit. Alana looked back to see that Obi-Wan had chosen to sit by himself, clearly needing a few moments to himself.

"How have you been?" Alana asked.

"Busy," Luminara said. "But I've been well. And you?"

"Also busy. We're meeting the Council shortly. A new assignment is going a little rough," Alana shook her head. "Hopefully we'll resolve it soon."

"I saw you come in with Obi-Wan Kenobi," Luminara remarked. Alana glanced over to where Obi-Wan was sitting and saw him looking over at her. He looked away quickly, clearly embarrassed, which made Alana look away quickly also.

"Yes," Alana said, toying with her food. "We're on assignment together with our Padawans."

Luminara nodded and the two ate in silence for a little bit when Alana looked up at the time and gasped.

"I should go. We're nearly late for the Council Meeting," Alana said, standing abruptly.

"Oh, alright," Luminara said. "Good luck!"

Alana and Obi-Wan put away their food and collected the Padawans before making their way quickly to the Council chambers. They went straight in when they arrived, bowing to the Masters and waiting to be called upon to speak. Out of the corner of her eye, Alana spotted Shaak Ti, the newest member of the Jedi Council. She had risen quickly through the ranks.

"What news do you have of your assignment?" Master Windu asked, drawing Alana from her thoughts.

Obi-Wan looked to Alana and nodded, signaling to her to begin talking with her former Master.

"Last night there was another attempt on Senator Amidala's life. We managed to stop the attack and track down the assassin, but before we could question her, she was struck down by a poison dart," Alana said.

"Hm," Yoda said.

"We do know that she was hired by a bounty hunter, and we still have the poison dart in our possession," Obi-Wan added.

"Track down this bounty hunter you must, Obi-Wan, Alana," Master Yoda said.

"Most importantly, find out who he's working for," Master Windu said.

"What about Senator Amidala?" Obi-Wan asked. "She will still need protecting."

"Handle that, your Padawans will," Master Yoda said.

"Anakin, Sylvan, escort the senator back to her home planet of Naboo. She'll be safer there," Master Windu said. "And don't use registered transport. Travel as refugees."

"As the leader of the opposition, it will be very difficult to get Senator Amidala to leave the capital," Sylvan spoke up. She was right, Padme was stubborn at the best of times.

"Until caught this killer is, our judgment she must respect," Master Yoda said.

"Anakin, go to the senate and ask Chancellor Palpatine to speak with her about this matter," Master Windu said.

The four exchanged looks and bowed before exiting the Council room. They made their way quickly down the hall and to the elevator, where they formed a plan.

"Sylvan, go and get the gear that you need for your assignment while Anakin speaks with the Chancellor, then both of you rendezvous at the Senator's residence," Alana said.

"Once you're ready to go, radio us and we'll meet you at the transport to the refugee ship," Obi-Wan said, noticing that the Council was already getting out of session.

The two Padawans bowed and took their leave of their Masters, and Alana turned to Obi-Wan.

"If it's alright, I'd like to speak with Shaak Ti," she said.

"And I require counsel from Master Yoda," Obi-Wan replied.

The two of them made their way towards the council members who were all splitting off to their various assignments, and Alana managed to grab ahold of Shaak Ti.

"There you are," Shaak Ti said, seeing her friend and pulling her into a warm embrace. "I wasn't sure if you would wait to see me."

"Of course I would," Alana smiled. "I didn't know you had been promoted to the rank of Master! And a seat on the Council?"

"Thank you," Shaak Ti said. "I wasn't expecting it in the least, but I am glad that they think so highly of me."

"Ever so humble, aren't you?" Alana said, smiling over at her friend as they made their way down the hall. "What are you up to these days?"

"I am currently assigned to a Youngling class, which I am heading to now," Shaak Ti said. "Would you care to accompany me?"

Alana looked over to where Obi-Wan was deep in conversation. He seemed to sense her looking at him and he looked up, catching her eye and almost knowing what she was thinking, he nodded his head.

"Why not?" Alana said.

The two of them made their way towards the training rooms, and Alana entered, smiling at all the small children in front of her. The class was very young, appearing to be at the very beginning of their training.

"Hello, Bear Clan!" Shaak Ti said, "We have a guest today. Her name is Master Skywalker."

"Hello Master Skywalker," they all said together, looking up at Alana with big eyes.

Shaak Ti got right to work, getting them started on their exercises, with Alana walking around the room slowly, watching each of the Younglings with interest, just as she had done when she was finishing her apprenticeship. The Younglings all had helmets on and were working on not running into each other or into stationary objects.

Suddenly, one of the Twi'lek Younglings ran into the wall and fell over. Alana could hear the Youngling begin to cry, and Shaak Ti was busy with another Youngling, so Alana went over and knelt beside the Youngling and removed her helmet. She noted that the Youngling had bruised her knee badly and the hand she had used to catch herself was bleeding.

"What's your name, little one?" Alana asked gently.

"M-Mirni," the Youngling said between sniffles. Alana looked at the bruise and the scraped up hand before she felt Shaak Ti's presence behind her.

"She'll need to go to the clinic," Alana said quietly. "I can take her if you'd like."

"Thank you," Shaak Ti said. "Go with Alana, little one, she'll bring you back and you'll be fixed up wonderfully."

"Okay M-master-r," Mirni said, standing up slowly and making her way out of the room with Alana. They went down the hall, with Mirni still sniffling.

"Have you injured yourself before?" Alana asked softly, looking down at the little girl who was cradling her hand.

"N-no," Mirni said. "It really h-hurts."

"I know it does, little one," Alana said. "But pain isn't forever. See? We're almost at the clinic." Alana pointed down the hallway at the doors to the clinic.

As the two entered, Alana helped the child to a table where a droid examined her and took care of her injuries and scrapes.

Mirni soon stopped sniffling, but she still held onto Alana's hand while the droid looked after her.

"In order to speed up the healing process, the child will need an injection," the droid notified Alana.

Hearing the word 'injection' Mirni's grip tightened.

"Is it going to hurt?" She whimpered, looking up to Alana while the droid went over to get the small device to inject the needle.

"It might sting for just a moment, but it will help you feel better much faster," Alana said gently. "You can hold my hand the whole time if you'd like."

As she said those words, she suddenly felt Obi-Wan's presence in the room, but instead of turning to see him, she stayed smiling at Mirni as the droid came and injected the needle.

"All better!" The droid said. "The Youngling is free to go."

"Thank you," Alana said, helping the child down from the table. Mirni clung to Alana for a moment, still smarting from the needle. "It's alright," Alana said. "You're all done here, and the pain will go away. Focus on what you'll be doing when you return to class, and your pain will fade."

She looked up, Mirni's hand in her hand, to see Obi-Wan looking at her with an expression on his face that Alana had never seen before. He smiled as the two of them made their way out of the room. As they left the medical center, he fell into step beside Alana.

"Shaak Ti told me you had taken a Youngling to the clinic," Obi-Wan said before looking over at Mirni. "What's your name, Youngling?"

"Mirni," the four-year-old said.

"She hurt herself during training," Alana said. "But she's all fixed up and ready to get back into the room."

"That's wonderful," Obi-Wan said as they finally arrived back at the training room, where Shaak Ti was still working with the Younglings.

Alana said goodbye to the little girl and waved goodbye to Shaak Ti and turned away, eager to get on with their mission.

"I have someone I'd like to take the dart to," Obi-Wan said. "We'll head there after we see the Padawans off."

"That's good. I hope we can get to the bottom of this soon," Alana said as the two of them made their way out of the Jedi Temple together. They boarded a transport heading for where the Senator was staying, and they arrived at the landing platform just in time to meet Sylvan, Anakin, Captain Typho, Dorme, and the Senator.

Alana noted the awkward silence between the two Jedi and the Senator, and she looked pointedly at Sylvan, who refused to meet her eyes. Anakin glanced over at Sylvan as they were approached and pursed his lips.

Something was off between the two of them.

"We'll come with you to the refugee ship," Obi-Wan said, clearly not seeing the same interaction between Anakin and Sylvan as Alana was.

"We should get going," Senator Amidala said before turning and boarding the awaiting transport ship.

They were the only ones on there, and as Alana boarded, she grabbed Sylvan's plainclothes and partially dragged her to two seats away from the others. They were the only ones there, so their conversation would have to be discreet.

"Master!" Sylvan hissed as she half-slid and was half-pushed into the seat. Alana took the seat beside her and looked at her Padawan.

"What is it?" Alana demanded quietly. "I can sense your unease."

Sylvan's eyes flickered over to Anakin before looking at her Master. Knowing that Anakin was Alana's brother, she didn't want to say anything negative towards him for fear of Alana becoming protective.

"It's nothing, Master," Sylvan said. "I'm just tired."

Alana gave Sylvan a pointed look, seeing right through her lie.

"Tell me, Sylvan," Alana said, more gently this time. "What is it? I want to help you."

"I don't want to speak out of turn," Sylvan said, looking to Alana, who nodded her on. "While I was in the Senator's quarters, I left to speak with Captain Typho and when I returned, Anakin," Sylvan paused, looking over to where Anakin was sitting beside Obi-Wan talking. "He was saying things that made the Senator uncomfortable, and I didn't do anything to stop him."

Alana thought for a moment before sighing.

"He's headstrong," Alana said. "But he's not impossible to talk to. Caution him about the way that he acts around the Senator and his words. He will listen."

"That's easy for you to say, Master," Sylvan said, pursing her lips. "You're his sister, and he'll listen to you. I'm just another Padawan, four years his younger no less."

"If he gives you any trouble, call upon what I have taught you. You need to work together in order to protect the Senator. His kind of stubbornness is something you will have to deal with when you go on your own solo missions when you're older," Alana counseled. "You'll be alright."

"Yes, Master," Sylvan said, her mind slightly more at ease than before. They looked out as the ship docked, the two standing and making their way to the door. They joined in the conversation between Anakin and Obi-Wan as Obi-Wan was speaking.

"Don't do anything without first consulting either myself or the Council."

"Yes, Master," Anakin replied.

"That goes for you too, my young Padawan," Alana said, looking at Sylvan, who bowed. They turned towards the door and said their goodbyes, promising to get to the bottom of the plot to kill Senator Padme.

"We need to go," Anakin said, turning to leave the ship, carrying Senator Padme's bag. Alana turned to Sylvan and smiled.

"May the Force be with you," she said.

"May the Force be with you, Master," Sylvan responded as the group moved off down the ramp and towards the ship. Obi-Wan, Alana, and Captain Typho all watched as Padme walked away, between the two Padawans and R2 trailing right behind.

"I do hope he doesn't try anything foolish," Obi-Wan said, watching as they boarded the ship.

"I'd be more concerned about Padme doing anything than either of your apprentices," Captain Typho said, shaking his head.

Obi-Wan and Alana both smiled before parting ways from the Captain. Alana wasn't quite sure where they were heading, but she followed along behind him, boarding a transport into a busier area of Coruscant before they stopped suddenly outside of a diner.

"What in the world are we doing here?" Alana asked.

"Oh, my dear Alana," Obi-Wan laughed. "Hopefully we're here to get some answers."


	16. The Search for Kamino

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I saw the Rise of Skywalker and ooooooooooohhhhh my goooodnesssss!! NO SPOILERS IN COMMENTS PLZ (but feel free to message me on Wattpad at writer_rach if you want to chat about it!)

"Honey, someone here to see you! Jedi, by the looks of him!" A droid called from the front upon seeing Obi-Wan entering the room. Alana looked up at Obi-Wan in confusion. Apparently, this was a place he frequented.

"Obi-Wan!" A booming voice said, causing Alana to startle, seeing a giant Besalisk from behind a bar.

"Hello, Dex," Obi-Wan replied, smiling to see his friend.

"Take a seat, I'll be right with ya," the Besalisk said, turning to come out and greet his friend.

As the two turned to take a seat at a booth in the diner, the droid called out to them.

"You two wanna cup o' Jawa juice?"

"Oh yes, thank you," Obi-Wan said. Alana followed suit and nodded as she slid into the booth ahead of Obi-Wan.

"Who is this person? And how do you two know each other?" Alana asked quietly.

"Dexter Jettster. We met a long time ago when I was still a Padawan," Obi-Wan said. "He used to sell guns. Supplied me with a lot of information back then. A great friend, and very loyal." Before he could continue, he smiled and stood back up from the booth as Dex arrived and hugged Obi-Wan.

"Hey old buddy," Dex said, smiling as they embraced. He noticed Alana as he sat down and nodded to her. "Who's this? A new girlfriend?"

"Oh no, no, Dex," Obi-Wan said, flushing red just slightly. "She's another Jedi Knight, Alana Skywalker."

"Pleasure to meet you," Alana said, flashing Dex a brilliant smile.

"Oh no, no, pleasure is all mine, darling," he said. "Now, my friend, what can I do for ya?"

"Well," Obi-Wan said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out the dart. He held it up to the light for Dex to see. "You can tell me what this is." He set it down on the table in front of them. Alana tensed slightly, her mistrust of non-Jedi evident, but Obi-Wan discreetly placed his hand on her leg, both calming her and making her cheeks flush a bright red. She avoided his eye contact as he kept his hand there.

"Well, whattaya know!" Dex exclaimed. "I ain't seen one of these since I was prospecting on Subterrel, beyond the Outer Rim!"

"Can you tell us where it came from?" Alana asked as the droid worker dropped off their drinks. Obi-Wan thanked her and took a sip of his drink as Dex continued.

"This baby belongs to them cloners," Dex said, nodding his head thoughtfully. "What you got here is a Kamino saberdart."

"I wonder why it didn't show up in the analysis archives," Obi-Wan wondered out loud, looking over at Alana and taking his hand off her leg as she relaxed.

"It's these funny little cuts on the side that give it away," Dex said, picking up the dart and turning it in his fingers. "Those analysis droids only focus on symbols. I should think you Jedi have more respect for the difference between knowledge and wisdom," Dex chuckled.

Alana noticed that Obi-Wan was going along with Dex and laughed slightly.

"Well if droids could think, there'd be none of us here, would there?" Obi-Wan snarked back. Before picking up the dart. "Kamino. I'm not familiar with it. Is it in the Republic?"

"No, no, it's in the Outer Rim," Dex said. "I'd say about, uh, 12 parsecs outside the Rishi Maze. Should be easy to find, even for those droids in your archives."

"Is there anything we should know about the planet?" Alana asked.

"Well, the Kaminoans keep to themselves. They're cloners. Damn good ones too," Dex said.

"Cloners? Are they friendly?"

"Depends," Dex said, clearly keen on being dramatic.

"Depends on what, Dex?" Obi-Wan asked.

"On how good your manners are," Dex said. "And how big your pocketbook is."

Alana exchanger glances with Obi-Wan. They needed to get to work on finding these cloners and getting to the bottom of the bounty hunter.

They say there for a moment before Dex finally looked over at where the orders were piling up.

"I should get back," he said, scooting out of the booth and standing. "Stay as long as you'd like."

"Thank you, Dex, but we should get going," Obi-Wan said also going to stand. Alana took a few coins out of her pockets and paid for the jaws juice while Obi-Wan was pulled into another hug. As they let go, Dex turned to Alana.

"I hope to see your pretty face around here more too. You sure do brighten up the room, especially with Obi-Wan over here," Dex said, making Alana laugh as Obi-Wan rolled his eyes.

"Thank you, Dex," Alana said.

The two of them finally left the diner and stood outside for a moment, thinking over what they should do.

“Let’s go to the archives,” Obi-Wan said. “Perhaps Dex is right. The droids could have missed something.”

“I don’t know,” Alana said. “The droids are usually very accurate,” she looked over at Obi-Wan, who raised an eyebrow. “But I’m not against checking again for ourselves in the archives. I have them memorized like the back of my hand.”

Obi-Wan nodded and the two of them made way out of the area and back to the Jedi Temple. As they walked to a landing platform that would take them back to the Temple, Alana suddenly felt something in the Force. It was a presence that she hadn’t felt in a long time, and she froze in the spot, turning towards it.

“Mom?” Alana asked, looking around the crowd of people for the Shmi. Her mother’s presence was calming but Alana could feel her mother’s anguish. Alana needed to find her. “Mom?” She called again.

“What is it?” Obi-Wan asked, stopping and scanning the crowd with her, concern in his eyes. The presence was getting fainter and fainter. Alana moved to follow it, but Obi-Wan grabbed her arm and stopped her from following the presence.

“What’s going on?” He asked.

“That presence,” Alana said. Suddenly it vanished, and Alana felt cold. She shivered and looked back at Obi-Wan. “You couldn’t feel her?”

“Your mother?” Obi-Wan asked. “She’s not here, Alana.”

“But I-“

“She’s not here, Alana,” Obi-Wan said, rubbing her hand gently. “Come, we need to move on, we have a job to do.”

Alana pursed her lips, the sensation of her mother’s anguish still burned into her mind. They kept walking, but Alana’s thoughts were elsewhere, thinking of what had just happened and of her brother’s nightmares. She began to worry about her mother. The whole way back, Alana could tell that Obi-Wan could sense her worry, as his eyes kept flickering to her, and he would brush up against her comfortingly whenever he could, trying to calm her down the best he knew how.

When they finally arrived back at the temple, Alana managed to push it back to the back of her mind so that she could be better prepared for their search. While Alana went to sit and begin to search the archives maps, Obi-Wan stood behind her, leaned over to see the screen, his hands placed on her chair.

“Look,” Alana said. “12 parsecs south of the Rishi Maze.” She pointed to a blank space on the screen.

“Can you move out?” Obi-Wan said. “Dex was doing a rough calculation. He could be off some.”

Alana made it so that she could see everything near that location within 10 parsecs. Still, there was barely anything there. She frowned and squinted, leaning in to look closer.

“There’s nothing there, Obi-Wan,” Alana said, sitting back and crossing her arms. She could feel Obi-Wan tap his hands in frustration on her chair. “Is it possible that Dex wasn’t telling the truth?”

“No,” Obi-Wan shook his head. “He’s never lied to me before. I trust his instinct and his honesty.”

“Let me get Master Jocasta,” Alana said, pushing her chair back. “Perhaps she can shed some light on the matter.”

Obi-Wan sighed and moved to look at a statue. As Alana walked away, she could sense his frustration. This bounty hunter seemed to be one dead end after another. The longer it took them to get these answers, the less likely they were to find him.

As Alana wandered around the stacks of books and data storage, she finally found herself beside Master Jocasta, who was humming lightly as she placed back a few materials into their spots in the archive.

“Master Jocasta!” Alana said. The old woman looked up and smiled at Alana.

“Why hello, Alana,” the woman said. “I haven’t seen you back here in a while.”

“Yes, it has been a long time,” Alana admitted. “Master, I’m here in search of something with Master Kenobi. Would you come and help us? We’re having trouble with some of the data.”

“Of course, my dear,” Master Jocasta said.

Alana bowed and made sure that Master Jocasta was following her as she made her way back to Obi-Wan, who was staring up at a statue, clearly deep in thought. He turned as they came in and bowed to Master Jocasta.

“Alana tells me you’re looking for my assistance. Are you having a problem, Master Kenobi?” Master Jocasta asked.

“Yes, Master,” Obi-Wan said, “We’re looking for a planetary system called Kamino.”

“It doesn’t show up in an of the star charts,” Alana said, looking over to where they had been looking at the star charts.

“Kamino, it’s not a system I’m familiar with. Are you sure you have the right coordinates?” Master Jocasta asked.

Obi-Wan turned and guided them back over to the screen. Alana took the seat and pulled the star chart back up and pointed to the area where Kamino should be.

“According to our information it should appear in this quadrant here just south of the Rishi Maze,” she said, shaking her head. Master Jocasta looked at the screen before stepping back and looking back and forth between Alana and Obi-Wan.

“I hate to say it, but it looks like the system you’re searching for doesn’t exist.”

“Impossible. Perhaps the archives are incomplete,” Obi-Wan said out of frustration. Alana bit her lip. Master Jocasta was very protective of the information in the archives.

“If an item does not appear in our records, it does not exist,” Master Jocasta said, before bowing courteously and leaving their presence.

“Why did you have to say it like that?” Alana said, watching as Obi-Wan pulled out a chair and slumped in it. He put his hands to his face in frustration before looking back at the screen.

“Sorry, I just want to get this mystery solved as soon as possible,” he said.

“Don’t we all?” Alana asked, staring at the screen. Her mind started to wander back to the incident from earlier, and all of a sudden she felt a searing pain in her chest, and she doubled over in pain. Her mother’s presence had returned.

“Alana-“ Obi-Wan said, grabbing her before she fell out of the chair. She cried out in pain and gritted her teeth when all of a sudden, it stopped again and she was able to breathe properly. “Alana, you should go to the medical center.”

“I’m ok,” she sputtered. “I’m ok.”

Obi-Wan shook his head. “No, you’re not, Alana.” He helped her back up into her chair, and she put her face in her hands.

“This has happened to me before,” Alana whispered.

“What happened?”

“It’s my mother. I can feel her presence, then a searing pain and then she vanishes,” Alana looked over at Obi-Wan. “This happened to me the day my father died. I was just a child, but I remember it as clear as day.”

“We should speak to the council,” Obi-Wan said.

“No!” Alana hissed. Realizing her outburst, she took a deep breath before continuing. “No. They will tell me to forget about it. Which I can do on my own.”

“Do you want off of this assignment?” Obi-Wan asked.

Alana shook her head. “This assignment is what will help me to move on. I can only continue on my path. My mother’s path is her own, and I cannot interfere, no matter what.”

Obi-Wan looked at her for a moment, a face full of concern before nodding. He stood and offered her his hand, helping her up to her feet.

“Then we must continue to focus on this case,” he said. “We should speak with Yoda on this matter.”

The two of them made their way out of the archives, with the data piece in hand to show Master Yoda. They made their way across the temple to the training rooms, where Master Yoda was most of the time. They heard his voice and made for the direction it was coming from.

“Reach out. Sense the Force around you. Use your feelings you must,” Master Yoda said as Alana and Obi-Wan arrived in the training room. Upon seeing them, he tapped his wooden staff. “Younglings. Younglings! Visitors we have.”

“Hello, Master Obi-Wan. Hello Master Skywalker,” the Younglings said.

“Hello there,” she said, smiling at the Younglings, who all looked on in awe of the two Jedi.

“We’re sorry to disturb you, Master,” Obi-Wan said, looking to Master Yoda.

“What help can I be, Obi-Wan? Hmm?”

“We’re looking for a planet described to us by an old friend,” Obi-Wan said, “I trust him, but the systems don’t show it on the archive maps.”

“Hm,” Master Yoda said. “Lost a planet Master Obi-Wan has,” he said to the children. “How embarrassing. How embarrassing.”

The Younglings all giggled. Alana shook her head, a smile on her face as she looked around the room at all the Younglings.

“Liam, the shades,” Master Yoda said. “Gather around the map reader. Clear your minds and find Obi-Wan’s wayward planet we will.”

Alana watched as a Youngling pulled the shades down, blocking out the sunlight from the city, and Obi-Wan placed the little data map on the map reader, and it projected around the room. Alana looked for a second before moving over to point out where Kamino should be.

“It should be right here,” she said. “But it isn’t. Gravity is pulling all the stars in the area towards this spot.”

“Gravity’s silhouette remains, but the star and all the planets disappeared they have. How can this be? Hmm? A thought?” Master Yoda asked the children. “Anyone?”

“Master?’ A little boy asked. “Because something erased it from the archive memory.”

Alana and Obi-Wan exchanged glances. It had crossed their minds, but they didn’t think that it would even be possible.

“Truly wonderful the mind of a child is,” Master Yoda said. “The Youngling is right. Go to the center of gravity’s pull and find your planet you will.”

Obi-Wan nodded and reached over and took the map from the map reader. The two Jedi made their way to the door, Master Yoda between them.

“But Master Yoda, who could empty information from the archives?” Obi-Wan asked. “That’s impossible, isn’t it?”

“Dangerous and disturbing this puzzle is,” Master Yoda said. “Only a Jedi could have erased those files. But who and why, harder to answer. Meditate on this I will.”

Alana nodded, her mind split between thoughts of her mother and her focus on the mission.

“Alana, a word?” Master Yoda suddenly said.

Alana looked to him and then back at Obi-Wan, who bowed and left the room. The Younglings were all standing and chattering among themselves.

“Yes, Master?” She asked.

“Clouded, your thoughts are,” Master Yoda said. “Search your feelings, you must. Alone you are not; however, your path is yours alone. Save everyone, you cannot.”

Alana was startled by his last statement. She looked down at Master Yoda, who had a knowing expression on his face, almost like he knew exactly what she had been planning in the back of her mind.

“Yes, Master,” Alana said.

“May the Force be with you.”


	17. Kamino

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (AN: A double post because I am in a writing frenzy! Might end up with a triple post today! Let me know with 3 emojis how you're feeling after reading this chapter! Mine would be: 😅😱 -Rach)

"We're not taking two ships," Obi-Wan insisted. "We'll take the two-seater."

"No, because I hate when you fly," Alana said. "And the two-seater is cramped."

"How can you say that? We've never flown together!" Obi-Wan exclaimed. "And, you'll be just fine. You may be old, but you're still able to sit still for a little while. Besides, the Jedi Interceptor is more cramped than the two-seater."

He turned away from Alana, who was sputtering at his remarks, to face the droids who were in charge of getting the Jedi the ships they needed and keeping the manifests.

"We'll take the two-seater," he said. The droid looked between the two before racing off to make sure it was fueled and ready to go.

"Old!?" Alana finally exclaimed. "I'm only thirty!" She said, crossing her arms as Obi-Wan turned to look at her. "And for the record that's five years younger than you."

"Well, perhaps I was wrong, then," Obi-Wan said, eyeing the stance she was in, her arms crossed and her nose wrinkled in slight anger.

"That's what I thought."

"You're being childish," he said. "And children can't drive."

With that, he turned and made his way towards where the two-seater was being loaded, and the droid that Obi-Wan usually traveled with was loaded into the ship.

"Oh, you're joking," Alana said sarcastically before rolling her eyes and making her way after him. The two of them got into the ship while it finished fueling. Alana placed her headset on to allow for them to communicate with the R4 unit and Obi-Wan. She looked to her left as she sat in the back seat of the cockpit and smiled at the droid.

"Hello there, R4," she said. He beeped excitedly back at her. "I think you're going to be my favorite person on this trip." The little droid beeped happily back at her, making her laugh at how much he already liked her.

"If you two are done back there," Obi-Wan said into the headset. "We're ready to take off."

"We're just waiting for you," Alana said.

Obi-Wan chuckled into the headset as he cleared them to take off, and they shot up into the air, climb out of the atmosphere and into space. Alana set their course, avoiding massive rock fields and stars, and they jumped into lightspeed.

They were silent for some time, both choosing to focus on the sights around them as they flew by when Obi-Wan spoke.

"What did Master Yoda say?"

Even though Alana couldn't see him, she knew he was listening to her.

"He counseled me on what is going on with my mother," she said. Suddenly her mind wandered to Anakin. "I can only hope that Anakin isn't affected by all of this. I know he has nightmares, but," she trailed off and looked out as they sped through hyperspace.

"I trust Anakin to do what is right," he said. "I have to, for my sake."

"He is stubborn," Alana said.

"He is still my Padawan," Obi-Wan said. "I can only hope that the remainder of his training will allow him to lose some of that stubbornness." He paused for a moment before adding, "But I can see that Master Windu tried the same thing on you, Alana, and you're still stubborn as ever."

Alana laughed.

"Hopefully Sylvan will be able to give him counsel, and you may give me the same counsel."

The silence resumed, as they each thought of what to say.

"Do you ever miss him?" Alana asked. "Master Qui-Gon?" Silence persisted, with Alana fearing that her question had offended him. "Sorry I-"

"No, it's alright," Obi-Wan interrupted her. "Of course I miss him. Especially at first. I felt guilty for having let him down. I thought I had failed him, but at the same time I was angry that I was burdened with Anakin." He sighed. "But I soon began to realize that neither of those things were true. I did not fail my Master, and so I had to let go."

"And Anakin? Is he still a burden?" Alana asked.

"No," Obi-Wan sighed. "I spent the first few years of his training concealing my anger and disappointment, and now as I look back on it, I regret the way I acted at times. Anakin is a brilliant student and skilled at what he does, even if he does act out some times."

"He takes after me, I suppose," Alana said. "I left the Order for a long time because of it. I was too young to realize what it meant to be a Jedi, and I allowed my feelings to guide me down a dangerous path. Only now have I come to realize that I must keep them in check, no matter how strong they are."

Again, there was silence from Obi-Wan. She could sense his thoughts were on her. He was reaching out to her in the Force without even realizing it.

"Obi-Wan," Alana called to him softly. He jolted back to the present at the sound of her voice and took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry," he said. "My thoughts were wandering."

The two of them sat in silence the rest of the way to their destination until they jumped out of hyperspace right beside the planet.

"Well, well," Obi-Wan said. "There it is, Alana. Right where it should be."

"Our missing planet," Alana breathed, looking at the specs of the planet as they began their descent into the atmosphere. Obi-Wan came into an approach, scanning for a place to land when they spotted a facility in the middle of the ocean.

"Good gracious, this weather," Alana said as they landed, the pouring rain thundering down around their ship. She looked up at Obi-Wan, who looked back and nodded at her, and the two of them jumped out of the cockpit, pulling the hoods of their robes around their heads.

They approached the door, side-by-side, trying to ignore the fact that they were both quickly becoming dripping wet from the intense rain.

As soon as they arrived at the door, it slid open, and they stepped inside cautiously. It was a dazzling sight. The area they had entered was pristine and white and clean. Obi-Wan was to the left of Alana, and she looked to the right just as a tall creature was approaching them in the hallway.

"Master Jedi," the creature said. "The prime minister is expecting you."

Alana and Obi-Wan exchanged looks before Alana turned to the Kaminoan.

"We're expected?" She asked, puzzled at the Kaminoan's words.

"Of course," the Kaminoan nodded. "He is anxious to meet you. After all these years, we were beginning to think you weren't coming. Now please, this way."

The Kaminoan stepped down the hallway and began to lead them away from the door. Alana and Obi-Wan exchanged glances and followed cautiously after the Kaminoan. They passed many other Kaminoans as they walked down the brightly lit corridor until they finally arrived at a door that opened to reveal a Kaminoan sitting on a chair in the middle of the room. He stood from his chair as they entered the room.

"May I present Lama Su," the Kaminoan said. "Prime minister of Kamino. And these are Master Jedi-"

"Obi-Wan Kenobi," Obi-Wan said, bowing to the prime minister and motioning to Alana to say her name.

"And Alana Skywalker," she said, bowing also.

"I trust you're going to enjoy your stay," the prime minister said. Suddenly two chairs came swiveling down gracefully from the ceiling and the Prime Minister motioned to them. "Please, sit."

They all took a seat as the prime minister continued to talk.

"And now to business. You will be delighted to hear that we are on schedule. 200,000 units are ready, with a million more well on the way," he said.

Alana feigned happiness even though she was thoroughly confused at the man's words.

"That's good news," Obi-Wan said.

"Please tell your Master Sifo-Dyas that his order will be met on time."

"I'm sorry. Master-" Alana began.

"Jedi Master Sifo-Dyas is still a leading member of the Jedi Council, is he not?"

"Master Sifo-Dyas was killed almost ten years ago," Obi-Wan said.

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that," Lama Su said. "but I'm sure he would have been proud of the army we've built for him."

"The army?" Obi-Wan asked.

Alana's jaw dropped slightly before she snapped it shut. The cloners had built 200,000 clones for an army for the Jedi. She was shocked.

"Yes," Lama Su continued. "A clone army and I must say, one of the finest we've ever created."

"Tell me, Prime Minister," Obi-Wan said. "When my master first contacted you about the army, did he say who it was for?"

"Of course he did," Lama Su said. "This army is for the Republic. But you must be anxious to inspect the units for yourself."

"That's why we're here," Alana said, plastering a smile on her face and looking over to Obi-Wan, who nodded in agreement.

They made their way down the hallway, walking slowly and gracefully, the two Kaminoans leading the way. When they finally reached a glass cylindrical hallway that walked over the cloning facility, Alana raised both eyebrows in surprise. There were thousands of clones in intubation tubes, being grown. They entered the tube and looked around before Obi-Wan spoke.

"Very impressive," he said.

"I'd hoped you would be pleased," Lama Su said. "Clones can think creatively. You will find that they are immensely superior to droids. We take great pride in our combat education and training programs. This group was created about five years ago."

He turned and showed them a group of clones that looked to be about 12 years old. Alana raised an eyebrow.

"Five years? Do you use growth acceleration?" She asked.

"Oh, yes, it's essential. Otherwise, a mature clone would take a lifetime to grow. Now we can do it in half the time. They are totally obedient, taking any order without question. We modified their genetic structure to make them less independent than the original host."

"And who was the original host?" Alana asked.

"A bounty hunter called Jango Fett," Lama Su said.

"Where is this bounty hunter now?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Oh, we keep him here. Apart from his pay, which is considerable, Fett demanded only one thing, an unaltered clone for himself. Curious, isn't it?"

"Unaltered?" Alana asked.

"Pure genetic replication," Lama Su said. "No tampering with the structure to make it more docile, and no growth acceleration."

"We should very much like to meet this Jango Fett," Obi-Wan said.

"I would be very happy to arrange it," the Kaminoan female said as they reached the end of the walkway. It led out to look over where the clones were gathered. Alana's eyes watered at the sight.

There were thousands of clones grouped together in units, moving perfectly in sync with each other. She had never seen anything like it, and she couldn't tear her eyes away from them.

They stood there for a few moments, watching the clones when suddenly Alana felt her mother's presence again and collapsed.

Obi-Wan managed to catch her before she hit the ground, and she cried out in pain.

"Alana," he said, brushing her hair from her face.

"Let us send for help," the Kaminoan woman said.

"No, no," Alana gasped. "I'm alright, I just need a moment."

"Why don't we get you to the quarters we prepared for you, and you can rest for a while before meeting Jango Fett?" Lama Su suggested.

"Yes, please," Alana said weakly, her mother's anguish filling her mind and her thoughts, and all she could hear were her mother's screams.

She was helped to her feet, and Obi-Wan helped her down to where the Kaminoans were letting them stay. They entered the room and were left alone quickly.

Obi-Wan helped Alana over to the bed and laid her down gently. She curled up into a ball, trying to get the noises and her mother's screams out of her head.

Obi-Wan turned to go and get her a glass of water, but she grabbed his hand.

"Please," she whispered. "Don't leave me."

"I'm getting yo-"

"Stay," Alana pleaded with him. "Please, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan nodded and sat on the edge of the bed beside her letting her hold his hand while she took deep breaths as the screams and pain went away. She lay there, her eyes closed, for a few moments longer before finally, it all subsided.

"I have to go," Alana said, opening her eyes.

"Alana," Obi-Wan warned. "We cannot abandon this mission."

"I have to go, Obi-Wan," she said, sitting up, their hands still intertwined. "I'm no use to you here. Not like this. You have to finish this without me."

"I cannot let you go alone," he said, his mind flooding with worry for their mission and for her desires. "I can't let you risk your life like that. You don't know if she's even still alive. What if it's a trap set by a Sith to get you to go back to Tatooine? What if you-"

Suddenly, Alana leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. She didn't realize what she had done for a second before she suddenly pulled back.

"I'm sorry," she said, pressing her hand to her lips. "I shouldn't have done that."

Obi-Wan was just as stunned as she was, his eyes widening at her advancement. He wasn't sure what to stay, his heart and feelings all mixed up and confused, so he simply stood up, backing away from her.

Just as he was about to say something, there was a knock at the door. He looked at it and then back to Alana before going and answering it.

"How is she feeling?" The soft Kaminoan voice filled the room. Before Obi-Wan could respond, Alana had come to the door.

"I am needing to return to my homeworld, but we only have one ship," Alana said. "Is it possible to borrow one from you? It is an urgent matter."

Obi-Wan turned around, his lips pursed. "Alana," he warned.

"Yes, Master Jedi," the Kaminoan said. "Please, follow me."

Alana looked to Obi-Wan and let out a shaky breath, her mind in all sorts of horrible places, unable to think straight. But one thing was clear. She had to go to Tatooine. She had to see if her mother was alright.

"I have to go," she whispered, unable to meet Obi-Wan's eyes. "I'm sorry."

And with that, she departed, following the Kaminoan away from Obi-Wan and towards the chance of saving her mother.


	18. Reuniting

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: MENTION OF PANIC ATTACKS AND ANXIETY

Alana sped through space, her eyes blurred with tears, willing the ship to go faster. She was completely blinded by her emotions, by her mother's anguish, by her fear that she couldn't think straight. All of this manifested in her physically in the form of a panic attack. She sat in an unknown ship, in a compact and small cockpit meant just for two, and she could not regain control of herself. She closed her eyes in an attempt to calm down when suddenly, she felt a soft and calming presence in the Force, one that she had only felt once before during her trials.

"It ok, momma."

Alana's eyes flew open, the tiny and perfect voice bringing her back to present and immediately calming her down. Alana's breath was back in control, and she was no longer shaking or afraid. She was immensely calm.

"Who are you?" She said out loud, but the presence had already disappeared again. That was the second time the child had called her 'momma.'

The silence around her was deafening, when all of a sudden, Alana heard a beeping sound, telling her that they were jumping out of hyperspace right beside the planet of Tatooine. She decided it was best to land outside the spaceport where she had grown up.

It was late during the nighttime when she arrived, and the town was completely silent. Alana made to get out of the cockpit, but she got dizzy, her body overcome with exhaustion.

"I have to keep going," she whispered to herself when suddenly everything went black.

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alana woke up to bright daze of the sun above her, the heat nearly suffocating her in the cockpit of the ship. Suddenly, the sound of Jawas outside the plane brought her back. She sprung the cockpit open and jumped out to see Jawas surrounding the plane, and she ignited her lightsaber while jumping to the ground.

"If I come back and my ship isn't in one piece, I will find you and slaughter your whole crew," she said, causing the Jawas to start screaming and running away from her and her ship. Alana laughed as they disappeared out of sight.

Her eyes adjusted to the landscape and she looked in the cockpit, checking the time. It was past noon. She had been asleep for a very long time. Her body had been overly exhausted, having not slept in days, so it shut down herself.

Alana turned to make way into the spaceport to look for her mother when she noticed a ship coming towards her, beginning to land beside hers.

"You've got to be shitting me," Alana said, recognizing the ship immediately. It was a sleek and small Naboo cruiser belonging to none other than Senator Amidala. She put her lightsaber away as the cruiser came to a rest and the walkway opened to reveal three rather upset people looking at her.

Sylvan came marching down the ramp first, heading straight for Alana.

"I told them not to come!" She practically yelled. "I said it was a stupid idea, and we would get caught, and I don't even know why we're here, he won't even tell me!"

Alana frowned when she saw her brother, with Padme right beside him/ They descended the walkway and joining Sylvan and Alana.

"Ani," she said softly. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here for the same reason you are," he said.

"Why didn't you leave the Senator with Sylvan?" Alana demanded. "You're breaking the Council's order. You're disobeying them by coming here and putting Senator Amidala's life at risk."

"It wasn't him," Padme said. "I insisted that I come with."

Alana sighed. "Senator, I insist that you return to Naboo."

"No," Anakin said. "She stays. We need to find Mom."

Alana looked back and forth between Anakin, Padme, and Sylvan, before sighing.

"Come on," she said. "Let's go."

"Master!" Sylvan exclaimed, shocked that Alana was disobeying the Council.

"If you don't like what we're doing, then you can join Master Kenobi on Kamino," Alana retorted before turning and making her way into the spaceport. The group was altogether very silent the whole way there. Alana could sense the tension between the two Padawans.

As they entered the town where they had lived so long ago, Alana pulled the hood of her robes up to shroud her face. Even though it had been a long time since she had last been there, she was still recognizable from her time as a fighter for Watto.

They were directed to where Watto was, and they arrived to see him sitting outside, working on a droid part angrily.

"Chut-chut, Watto" Anakin spoke. Alana stayed back, away from the Toydarian, her eyes wandering around the town, hidden beneath her robes. R2 beeped beside her, choosing to stay back between Sylvan and Alana.

"Let me help you with that," Anakin said, picking up the parts of the droid and fixing it quickly. Before he could finish, Watto yelled in Huttese.

"Wait! You're a Jedi!" He exclaimed. "Whatever it is, I didn't do it!" He threw his wrench before Anakin finally spoke.

"I'm looking for Shmi Skywalker."

Alana clenched her jaw at the mention of their mother. Watto looked at Anakin for a moment, and then back at the entourage around him.

"Ani? Little Ani?"

Anakin put down the droid, completely repaired before Watto smiled and exclaimed cheerfully, realizing who Anakin was.

"You are Ani! It is you!" He flew up to get a better look at Anakin. "You sure sprouted, huh? A Jedi! Whattaya know! Hey, maybe you could help with some deadbeats who owe me a lot of money."

Alana stepped forward, getting into Watto's face so that he could see who she was.

"My mother," she said darkly. 

"Alana?" Watto said, stunned for a moment, before realizing the threatening tone on her voice and noting the lightsaber on her belt. "Oh, yeah, Shmi." He fluttered back away from her for a second. "Uh, she's not mine no more. I sold her."

Alana looked back at Anakin, sensing his confusion and anger.

"You sold her?" Anakin demanded, shifting on his legs.

"Years ago," Watto said. "Sorry, Ani, Alana, but you know business is business, huh?" He chuckled uneasily.

"Who bought her?" Alana demanded.

"I sold her to a moisture farmer named, uh, Lars," he said, scratching his head. "At least, I think it was Lars. Believe it or not, I heard he freed her and married her! Can ya beat that, eh?"

Alana frowned. Her mother had remarried? She was at a loss of words for a moment, and she could feel Anakin shifting behind her.

"Do you know where they are now?" He asked.

"Ooh, long way from here," Watto said. "Someplace over on the other side of Mos Eisley, I think, mmm."

"We'd like to know," Alana said coldly.

"Eh, sure. Absolutely! Let's go look at my records, huh?" Watto said nervously. He turned and beckoned the group inside his trade post. Alana motioned for everyone to follow her, and she looked cautiously around them before stepping inside.

After much searching, they got Watto to find the exact location of the moisture farm, they departed without even giving him a cordial goodbye. Alana couldn't stand thinking of their past, and she wanted out of there a quick as possible.

It was decided that they would take both ships to the moisture farm, with Alana leading the way. It was only a short time before they arrived, all four of them, R2 in tow, heading for the home of Lars.

Alana noticed a droid standing outside, monitoring something as they approached. She looked at the droid, who only noticed them when they came into sight.

"Oh, hello," it said. "How may I be of service? My name is C-"

"3PO?" Anakin said. The droid looked at Anakin for a second before realizing who he was. 

"The maker!" He exclaimed. "Oh, Master Ani! I know you would return. I knew it! And Miss Alana and Padme!" He said, noticing the other two. He looked at Sylvan for a moment. "I'm sorry, but I do not know your name."

"Sylvan, Alana is my Master," she said, her temper having much subsided, realizing how much this mission meant to Anakin and her Master.

"Bless my circuits! I am so pleased to see you all!"

"We've come to see our mother," Alana said, taking the hood of her robes off.

"Oh," 3PO said, looking between Alana and Anakin. "Um, I think perhaps we'd better go indoors."

He led them down inside the farm, where they were met by a younger man and a younger woman.

"Master Owen, might I present four very important visitors," C3PO said.

"I'm Alana Skywalker," Alana said. 'This is my brother, Anakin, and our friends, Padme and Sylvan."

"Owen Lars," the young man said cautiously, looking between the four guests. "Uh, this is my girlfriend, Beru," he said, motioning to the woman.

"Hello," Beru said, looking to them.

"I guess I'm your stepbrother," Owen said awkwardly shifting. "I had a feeling you might show up someday."

Alana and Anakin looked to each other before Anakin spoke.

"Is my mother here?"

"No, she's not," a voice said from behind them. Alana turned to see an old man coming towards them in a wheelchair. "Cliegg Lars. Shmi is my wife," he said, reaching his hand out for them to shake. Anakin shook his hand first, Alana shaking it second. He seemed kind but tired and worried.

"We should go inside," he continued. "We have a lot to talk about."

They went inside the house, with Beru going and getting them something to drink. Alana and Anakin sat close to Cliegg, with Sylvan choosing to sit at the far side of the table, keeping an eye on her Master and the ships out of the corner of her eyes.

"It was just before dawn," he started. "They came out of nowhere. A hunting party of Tusken Raiders."

Alana's heart sank at his words.

"Your mother had gone out early, like she always did, to pick mushrooms that grow on the vaporators. From the tracks, it looked like she was about halfway home," he paused for a moment, barely able to meet Alana's eyes, "when they took her."

Alana, felt her brother freeze up, his anger deep-seated in his heart, and he squeezed his fists shut.

"Those Tuskens walk like men, but they're vicious mindless monsters," he said, shaking his head. "Thirty of us went out after her. Four of us came back. I'd be out there with them, but after I lost my leg, I just couldn't ride anymore, until I heal. I don't want to give up on her, but she's been gone a month. There's little hope she's lasted this long."

Alana's heart shattered. She hadn't been able to help her dad, but she had been able to help her mother and she had done nothing. She hadn't even realized. Suddenly, she felt Anakin stand beside her.

"Where are you going?" Owen asked.

"To find my mother," Anakin said.

"Your mother's dead, son," Owen said. "Accept it."

Alana could sense her brother's anger as he walked away from where they were sitting. Cliegg looked over at Alana and sighed.

"And you, child?" He asked gently. "Do you think she is still alive?"

Alana thought for a moment, realizing that they were all looking at her. She pursed her lips, searching her feelings, but there was nothing there. Either her own pain was blocking her from seeing her mother, or her mother was truly gone.

"I'm not sure," Alana said honestly. "But I know Anakin. He will go and find her, dead or alive," she stood and turned to go. She heard Sylvan stand, but with a wave of her hand, Sylvan sat back down and watched as her Master went to join Anakin above ground.

Alana went to him and sighed, seeing the sun beginning to set. He looked to her, his jaw clenched in anger.

"She's alive," he said, not bothering to look at Alana as she pulled alongside him. "I can feel it."

Alana nodded.

"I can't feel anything, Anakin," she said quietly. "I don't know. My mind is clouded with many matters. The things I know that are going on outside of our lives," she trailed off. "I should not have come here. I am more lost here than anywhere else in the galaxy right now."

Her mind wandered to Obi-Wan and to their kiss. She wanted to be there right now, whether he felt the same way for her as she did for him.

"It's Obi-Wan, isn't it?" Anakin said, sensing her thoughts and turning to her. "You care for him."

Alana looked away from him and over the horizon.

"I have to choose," she whispered. "But I can't let Mom go, and I sense that wherever Obi-Wan is now, he's walking into a trap."

Anakin sensed her struggle, and he touched her shoulder gently.

"You don't have to choose. Go. Take Sylvan with you. I can handle things here and get Mom. Padme will be safe here with Lars," Anakin said.

Alana hesitated. "She's in a lot of pain, Ani," she whispered. "I felt her pain in myself. I don't know how, but I felt it."

"I'll get her," Anakin said determinedly. "I swear to you."

\----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Soon enough, Alana and Sylvan said their goodbyes and made their way back onto the ship from the Kaminoans.

"Master," Sylvan said as Alana slid into the pilot's seat in front of Sylvan. "Are sure it's wise leaving the Senator behind?"

"In order to accomplish both the task of protecting the Senator and finding her killer, yes," Alana said, trying to establish a signal between herself and Obi-Wan.

Suddenly, a signal came through.

"Obi-Wan?" Alana asked.

"Alana?" A voice came crackling through. 

"Where are you?" Alana asked quickly, realizing that it was in fact him.

"I'm-" the transmission crackled out. "Geonosis," then the transmission failed. Alana gritted her teeth and frowned. She tried to look at the wiring for the transmitter, but it was not very well put together.

"It's completely useless. They haven't even finished the communications transmitter on this thing," she looked back at Sylvan. "It sounds like he's on Geonosis," she said. "As far as we can tell."

"Then let's go, Master," Sylvan said, setting their course.

"Give me a moment," Alana said.

She looked out over the landscape of Tatooine and took a deep breath, closing her eyes and reaching out into the Force, searching for her mother's presence. She went deep, into a dark place that she had never been before when suddenly she felt it. Faint and in pain, but still there.

"Mom," Alana whispered, hoping Shmi could hear her voice. "Anakin's coming."

Suddenly, she heard Shmi's voice.

"I love you, Alana."

Alana's eyes snapped back open at her mother's voice, and she took a deep breath, knowing now that this was the right thing to do. She prepped the engine and they took off into the sky, jumping into hyperspace.


	19. Geonosis

The journey from Tatooine to Geonosis was short, with the trip ending as they jumped out of hyperspace into the asteroid field around Geonosis.

"Good grief," Alana yelled, narrowly avoiding a head-on collision with a giant asteroid. "Get us out of here!"

"I can't!" Sylvan shouted back, watching as they were heading straight for another asteroid. "You're the one piloting!"

Alana shook her head, of course, she was the one flying. She regained her level-headedness and angled the ship away from the asteroid, flying just barely underneath it. They whirled around a couple of others before they were finally through the belt.

"I hate flying with you," Sylvan called. "Next time, let me fly, please, Master?"

"First Obi-Wan, now you," Alana muttered. "What's so bad about my flying?"

The ship descended towards the surface, with Alana hoping that they would fly in undetected in the cover of night. She noticed an unusual amount of Federation ships as they made their way to land in a hidden valley. Just as they were about to land the ship, Alana spotted their two-seater interceptor also hidden in the valley.

"Great minds think alike," Alana said. "Look," she pointed it out for Sylvan to see as they landed. "It's the ship. Obi-Wan must be around here somewhere."

"Master, I don't think so," Sylvan said as they opened the cockpit up and jumped out. "He would be out here if so." The two of them approached the ship when suddenly his R4 unit noticed them and started beeping furiously.

"Calm down, R4," Alana said. "It's us."

Seemingly happy at this fact, R4 beeped and whistled. That's when Alana noticed the blast marks on his ship, showing that they'd been in a firefight.

"What in the blazes?" Alana said, running her hand over the black marks. "Where did you get these?"

R4 beeped seriously, telling the story of how they had chased the bounty hunter to Geonosis and had been in the middle of the firefight when Alana's signal had patched through.

"Can you tell us where Master Kenobi went?" Sylvan asked. After R4 beeped at them for a moment, Alana nodded.

"Hopefully we'll catch him in time."

They raced off in the direction that R4 had directed them. They made it to the tunnels, and slowed down, becoming far more cautious. As Alana peered in, she suddenly felt a cold wind blow past her. She shivered slightly before motioning to Sylvan to follow.

Before they could get very far, Alana froze, something in the Force not right. She realized what had happened, and she dropped to the ground, clutching her chest as a great emptiness enveloped her. The world seemed to drop away beneath her, and everything became silent

"No," she whispered. "Mom."

Noticing her Master fall to the ground, Sylvan raced back to her.

"Master?" Sylvan asked.

But Alana couldn't hear her. The world of Geonosis had been replaced by a hut on Tatooine, the image of Anakin cradling a dead Shmi, her head falling back in his arms, her hand limp. Alana watched as Anakin shut his mother's eyes, his expression changing from one of sadness to one of shock to one of rage.

He looked up, and it was like he saw her. His eyes were pleading with Alana, willing Shmi back to life. Alana reached her hand out towards her family, a tear streaming down her face when she suddenly noticed the cuts and burns and horrible things that had happened to Shmi. Alana's expression turned from one of intense sadness to one of anger, and her hand snapped shut into a tight fist.

"They killed her," she whispered and watched as Anakin stood and ignited his lightsaber.

"And now I'll kill them," he said, the rage and hatred on his face so evident that it scared Alana away from the vision and back awake on Geonosis.

"What have I done?" She whispered, looking up to see her Padawan in front of her.

"Master, what happened?" Sylvan asked. "Are you alright?"

"My mother has passed," Alana said, the intensity of Anakin's rage still rattling her bones.

"Let's get back to the ship, Master," Sylvan said, looking up and around them. "The sky is lighting up, I'm sure Master-"

"Alana?" Obi-Wan's voice came to her. Alana looked up past Sylvan to see Obi-Wan coming quickly towards them, out o the shadows of the tunnel.

"Obi-Wan," she said weakly, standing up slowly. "You're alive."

He pulled her into a tight embrace before realizing how frail she was.

"What is it?" He asked, letting her go gently. She leaned heavily on him.

"She's dead," Alana whispered. "My mother is gone. And now I fear for Anakin."

"Anakin is on-" he looked suddenly over at Sylvan before looking back to Alana. "Where did she come from?" He shook his head and sighed. "It doesn't matter, come on, we have to send a message, and quickly."

They made their way back to the ship. Obi-Wan talked with R4 for a moment while trying to send a signal. It looked like he had his transmitter working, but suddenly he spoke.

"Blast it. I don't have a long-range transmitter," he looked to Alana. "Does your ship have one?"

Alana shook her head. "I don't think our ship has much of anything, Obi-Wan. Could barely get the message as to where you were, let alone send a signal to Coruscant."

"Then we'll have to send a message to Anakin on Naboo," he said, turning back to the cockpit, when he paused. "He IS still on Naboo?"

"Uh," Alana began.

"It was my idea," Sylvan said. "I felt Alana's unease, and Anakin knew where they were going. So, I asked to go to Tatooine."

"I'm sure of that, young Padawan," Obi-Wan said, raising his eyebrows and looking to where Alana was leaned up against the ship. "Alright then, R4, begin transmitting to Tatooine. I can only hope that this reaches him."

Obi-Wan stepped in front of where R4 was taking his image, and he began to speak.

"Anakin, my long-range transmitter has been knocked out," he looked to Alana and Sylvan. "And Alana and Sylvan don't have one. Retransmit this message to Coruscant," he paused for a second. Alana looked around them and began to get a bad feeling about where they were.

"I have tracked the bounty hunter Jago Fett to the droid foundries on Geonosis," he began. "The Trade Federation is to take delivery of a droid army here, and it is clear that Viceroy Gunray is behind the assassination attempts on Senator Amidala,"

"Obi-Wan we have to go," Alana said, standing and coming into frame. She looked around.

"I have to finish," Obi-Wan said, turning back to the camera. "The Commerce Guild and the Corporate Alliance have both pledged their armies to Count Dooku and are forming a-" he was cut off when he noticed a huge number of droids and droidekas approaching. "Wait," he said. Alana noticed them too and ignited her lightsaber. Sylvan followed suit.

The three of them backed away from the droidekas, and they managed to slice out a few droids, but soon they were completely surrounded, and their lightsabers were taken from them.

"Now what, Master?" Sylvan asked quietly as they were being handcuffed.

"Stay alive," Alana replied as they were marched away towards the Geonosian tunnels.

They were soon separated and placed away from one another, with Alana being strung up in an empty room, no one else there with her. At first, she struggled, but eventually, she gave up.

She stayed there for what seemed like hours, her mind spinning with the events of the last few days.

Everything had been normal, with Sylvan and her following their orders around the galaxy until they had returned to Coruscant to be assigned to protect the Senator with Obi-Wan and Anakin.

Alana's mind wandered to the kiss between her and Obi-Wan. She had been foolish to press the matter onto him. The way he had looked at her, the way he had been worried, she had just assumed that he still harbored feelings for her. But he was too wise to reciprocate. He had to set a good example for Anakin.

"Anakin," Alana whispered, thinking of her mother and her brother. She should have never left him there on Tatooine alone. Shmi's words had driven Alana to go help Obi-Wan, but what good had that actually been? She and her Padawan and Obi-Wan were currently locked away on Geonosis, with nothing and nobody there to help them escape.

Alana's negative thoughts persisted until suddenly the doors opened to reveal Count Dooku looking rather infuriated. She raised her eyebrow as he entered, pushing her hopelessness to the side to greet a man she wished she had never had the chance to meet.

"Well, well," Alana said. "If it isn't a man I've heard so much about, but so little good."

"Always the smart mouth, aren't you?" He said to Alana. He stood there for a moment, and Alana could feel him prodding at her emotions and feelings in the Force, and she clammed up, fighting against his cold presence.

"I really do hate when people pry," Alana said out loud. "It's rather rude."

"I'm not even going to waste my time with you," Dooku said before turning and leaving her to herself. Alana laughed at his hasty departure when suddenly, five Geonosians came and placed a hood over her head so that she could not see, and they took her hands and bound them together in a special kind of handcuffs. She was led down a hallway of some kind, her only source of information was her ears and the use of the Force. Suddenly there was a sound of another door opening, and Alana was tossed to the ground.

She struggled for a moment, trying to her the bag off her head. She could sense another person in the room, their light breathing very familiar. Suddenly they spoke.

"Hello there," Obi-Wan's voice came from above her. 

Alana froze, the hood half-off her head when.

"Obi-Wan," she breathed a sigh of relief before finally tearing the hood off to see him hanging up and spinning around her. She let out a small laugh as he could no longer see her until he was spun back to the front. 

"Are you going to stand there laughing at me, or are you going to get me out of here?"

Alana nodded and over to him, dodging as he swept around her. She looked to deactivate it, but she couldn't any wire to stop it. She reached up to touch the field, but her hand was pulled hard towards it, and she barely escaped. It was some kind of tiny tractor beam.

"I don't know if I can do anything," Alana groaned.

"Then you should go and locate Sylvan and get out of here," Obi-Wan said. "You have a chance, they're letting you walk around."

"I'm not leaving you," Alana said. "Not again."

Obi-Wan was silent as he continued to spin slowly. Suddenly, Alana sensed a few guards heading towards them, and they burst through the door, heading straight for Alana. They pinned her down and held her steady as they took Obi-Wan down from the tractor beam. He was also placed in handcuffs.

The guards left the room again, and Alana raised an eyebrow.

"They seem to be preparing for something," she said. "And I don't want to be around to find out what exactly that something is."

"Wait," Obi-Wan said, stopping Alana from heading back out of the door. Alana turned and faced him, a confused look on her face.

"What?" Her eyes flickered to the door, something was coming towards them. She turned back to Obi-Wan and suddenly his lips were pressed against hers.

Alana almost melted as he kissed her, immediately reciprocating. She wished that she could touch him, but her cuffs prevented her from doing that.

They stayed there for a short moment before Obi-Wan pulled away, his eyes sparkling like Alana had never seen before.

"I cannot hide it anymore," he said quietly. "I want you, Alana."

Alana smiled, her eyes shining even in the darkness of the room, but before she could respond, the guards had returned, this time with a handful of battle droids and droidekas.

The two of them were pulled out of the room and marched across the floor towards a well-lit area, where Alana spotted her apprentice handcuffed and on a chariot of some kind.

Sylvan looked over at them as they entered and were both placed on the chariot beside her, their chains linked to the vehicle. Before they could say anything, a set of doors opened in front of them, and Alana's senses were immediately deafened by the sound of buzzing and flying and crying. From what she could see, they were about to head out into an arena of some kind.

"What the hell?" Alana could hear Sylvan say beside her as the chariot was forced forward by the Geonosian guards.

When they entered the arena, Alana was shocked at the number of Geonosians who had gathered around to watch whatever was about to happen. She then noticed five pillars in the middle of the arena, and Alana could only assume it was an execution.

She looked to Obi-Wan, who seemed to be trying to figure a way out of their current situation. The chariot pulled to a stop, and each of the Jedi were tied to the pillar, their arms high above their heads. Alana was sandwiched between Obi-Wan and Sylvan. They stood there for a few minutes when Alana noticed another chariot coming towards them.

"What the hell?" She muttered, noticing who was inside.

It was none other than Anakin and Padme.

As it pulled to a stop in front of the pillars, Alana let out an exasperated sigh as the two of them were led towards the pillars. Padme was placed up first, then Anakin.

"I was beginning to wonder if you had got our message," Obi-Wan said, looking over at Anakin, who was being strung up beside him. Alana looked across at them.

"I thought we told you to stay there," she said.

"I retransmitted it, just as you had requested, Master," Anakin replied. "Then we decided to come and rescue you."

"Good job," Obi-Wan said sarcastically.

"Would the both of you be quiet?" Alana demanded, and suddenly the whole area got quiet. She looked around for a second before spotting Count Dooku and the Geonosian King up above them.

There was some speaking in Geonosian which Alana didn't understand until suddenly he said something in basic speech.

"Let the executions begin!"


	20. The Beginning of the War

“Master,” Sylvan’s voice drew Alana’s attention away from Obi-Wan and Anakin, who were still bickering. “Did he just say execution?”

Before Alana could answer, there was a rattling sound, and Alana turned to see five doors around the arena all beginning to rise. Out of one of them came a giant creature with three horns, something Alana had only read about in her Jedi studies. It was a reek, an animal known to be herbivorous unless starved. And based on the way it was staring at them, it was hungry.

Then another door opened to reveal two tall, green creatures, which Alana recognized as acklays. They each had six deadly claws and teeth that looked rather sharp. They fought for a second before they were shocked into submission by one of the Geonosian guards, who was promptly stabbed by one of the legs of the acklays.

They turned towards Alana and Obi-Wan, both of whom clenched their teeth, steeling themselves in order to try to fight off these creatures. But before they attacked, two more doors opened to reveal a nexu. It was a cat-like creature with claws even sharper than the acklays, and it went barreling straight towards Padme.

The last creature that came out of the cages was a bogwing. It was a flighted bird, but it appeared to have one of its wings clipped so that it could not fly too far. They were native to the planet of Naboo, but they were vicious and territorial, and it looked straight at Sylvan.

As the creatures came towards them, Alana could hear her brother speak.

“I’ve got a bad feeling about this,” he said. Alana watched as one of the acklays was staring her down as the creatures approached. There was one for each of them.

“Just relax, try to concentrate,” Alana said to Sylvan, who was clearly about to panic. “You’re going to do fine, just take a deep breath. We’ll get out of this.”

She could hear Obi-Wan saying something similar to Anakin, and she looked over at them. Alana was quickly distracted when she noticed Padme climbing to the top of her pole.

“She seems to be on top of things,” Obi-Wan said.

Alana turned and took a deep breath. She was worried for everyone in the arena, Padme was a friend, Sylvan was her Padawan, Anakin was her brother, and Obi-Wan was, well, she wasn’t exactly sure what, but she knew she was surrounded by the four people who meant the most to her in the world. Unfortunately, now was not the time to worry about their safety, but to worry about her own.

The acklay had reached her and was raising one of its legs to stab her, but she managed to dive out of the way, momentarily forgetting that she was still attached to the pole. In her attempt to dive out of the way, she swung around the pole and found herself back at the front, only with a much shorter chain.

“Shit,” she muttered and the acklay screeched in her face and she managed to dive out of the way again. Out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed Obi-Wan rolling on the ground, somehow having gotten unattached from the pole. Alana gritted her teeth as the acklay’s face neared her own, and if to bite her head off.

“Master, look out!” she could hear Sylvan’s voice coming from a ways away from her.

“It’s staring me in the face,” Alana shouted. “My young Padawan, I can’t NOT look out.”

Suddenly the acklay lunged, and Alana managed to position herself so that the acklay’s teeth only chomped the handcuffs around her hands before sliding out between the acklay’s legs.

She was now underneath the acklay. It stumbled, trying to find her, and it got caught by the chain on the pole. Just as that happened, Alana spotted Anakin riding on top of the reek, using his chain to guide it, which immediately gave Alana an idea.

“That’s it,” she said. She ran back to the pole and grabbed the chain. In a brief turn, she swung it around, latching the chain around the front two legs and head of the acklay and pulling it tight. It took all of Alana’s strength to hold on to the acklay as it struggled to break free.

“Come on,” Alana grunted. “Fall down, please!”

At her words, the acklay lost its grip and came crashing into the pole. Before it had a chance to regain its ground, Alana managed to tie it up with the chain, all of its legs and its head positioning it in a very uncomfortable position, wrapped up around the pole.

“There,” she said, dusting off her hands.

“Master, duck!” Sylvan’s voice came from behind her. Alana dropped to the ground just in time as the bogwing came swooping down in the air. She rolled out of the way, watching as the bogwing swirled around coming back for a second attack.

Alana stood, reaching her hand out and closing her eyes. She grabbed onto the bogwing using the force and threw it to the ground. She opened her eyes to see the bogwing knocked unconscious, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

All of a sudden, she heard something coming towards her, and she was knocked to the ground. It was Obi-Wan. He had shoved her out of the way, but now she was knocked into the path of the reek. Suddenly, it was pulled to a stop and Alana looked up to see Anakin and Padme on top.

“Hop on!” Anakin said. Alana didn’t need to be told twice. The three of them moved towards Obi-Wan and Sylvan, who were both dodging the acklay. They pulled up alongside them and Obi-Wan and Sylvan managed to also get on the reek. They were safe.

Alana breathed a sigh of relief.

“Let’s get the hell out of here,” she said.

“I couldn’t agree more,” Obi-Wan replied.

They turned towards one of the doors, only to suddenly be greeted by an onslaught of droidekas. There was nothing they could do about that.

Alana’s heart sunk as the droidekas circled around them on all sides. She felt Obi-Wan’s hand touch her back gently as if to give her any comfort he could before they were executed.

Suddenly she felt a familiar presence, it was Master Windu. She looked up towards where Count Dooku was to see a purple glow and the faint silhouette of her former Master. The skies filled up with the Geonosians, all eager to get out as lightsabers began to ignite around the arena.

Suddenly, there was the sound of droids filling the arena floor, and Master Windu fell towards the ground, landing on his feet, staring the droids down as they filled the floor.

Anakin maneuvered the reek out of the circle of droidekas and towards the Jedi. Alana looked as two Jedi tossed them their lightsabers. She ignited hers immediately and turned to Obi-Wan, cutting off his handcuffs.

Suddenly, a giant blast knocked them off the reek. Alana managed to land on her feet, and she immediately deflected a bullet. She advanced towards a group of droids, Obi-Wan at her side. The two of them managed to take them out, making it so there was a small clearing where they were.

“Rough day,” Obi-Wan suddenly said.

“Tell me about it,” Alana replied as she sliced down another droid. She noticed Master Windu approaching them. They placed their backs against each other, making sure to cover each other so that they were more effective in deflecting bullets. “Good to see you, Master,” Alana said.

“Focus, Alana, we’re not-” suddenly Master Windu was cut off when the reek came barreling out of the way. Alana and Obi-Wan each were thrown in different directions.

Alana tumbled onto the ground, finding herself in the middle of a large group of droids. She clenched her jaw and cut down a few of them, but with no one to guard her back, she was wide open to an assault.

She cried out in pain as a blaster shot tore through her right arm, causing her to fall to the ground. Pushing the blistering pain to the back of her mind, she stood again, deflecting a bullet when suddenly, Obi-Wan was there, and the droids suddenly turned and raced away.

Alana turned to see him, but right behind him was none other than his acklay. Obi-Wan noticed it too, and the two of them raced towards it, slicing off its front legs, with Obi-Wan delivering the final blow to the back.

They had just a brief moment where none of the droids noticed them, and Obi-Wan turned to Alana and checked her arm.

“Are you alright?” He asked gently, seeing the blood dripping down her arm.

“I’ll be fine, Obi-Wan,” she smiled weakly. Obi-Wan let his hand touch her cheek for a moment before the two of them were drawn back into the fight.

The Jedi had begun to form a circle in the middle of the arena, but there were too many droids. They kept coming and coming, and no matter how many droids they cut down, still more arrived.

Alana noticed that Anakin and Sylvan were near her, and she noticed many other friends around the arena, like Shaak Ti and Luminara. They were vastly outnumbered. She continued to deflect the blasts, even as she felt her arms weaken when suddenly the blasts stopped. She looked to see Obi-Wan checking the pulse of a fallen Jedi, but he shook his head and stood.

Suddenly, Count Dooku’s voice echoes throughout the arena.

“Master Windu, you have fought gallantly. Worthy of recognition in the archives of the Jedi order,” Alana watched as Master Plo and Master Ki Adi-Mundi were escorted into the middle of the group, no lightsabers in hand.

“But now, it is finished,” Count Dooku said. “Surrender, and your lives will be spared.

“We will not be hostages to be bartered, Dooku,” Master Windu called back, looking up to where Dooku was standing.

“Then, I’m sorry, old friend,” Dooku said.

As he said that, the droids all pointed their guns at the group. Alana readied her lightsaber, feeling Obi-Wan close at her side. Suddenly, Padme’s voice echoed through the arena.

“Look!”

Alana looked to where Padme was, her face turned towards the sky. She too looked up to see gunships overhead. It was the clone army from Kamino. The ships began to descend, their guns blazing through the droids. The droids began to return fire as they landed around the Jedi.

Alana deflected a few bullets, feeling her energy and the adrenaline in her body. The gunships formed a perimeter around the Jedi, with the clones jumping out and firing back at the droids as the Jedi were loaded onto the ships. Alana was separated from Obi-Wan and was loaded onto Master Yoda’s gunship with Master Windu, Master Ki Adi-Mundi, Master Fisto, and young Sylvan.

The gunships took off into the air, taking out most of the rest of the droids, and they flew over to the battlefield. Alana noticed Anakin and Obi-Wan’s gunship ahead of them.

On the ground of Geonosis, Alana could see the fighting beginning. There were thousands of droids and thousands of clones shooting at each other. Both sides were well-organized, with the battalions being led by the Jedi. Suddenly, out of the corner of Alana’s eye, she watched as one of the gunships was hit and exploded mid-air.

“Pilot! Land in that assembly area!” Master Windu shouted over the noise of the battle below.

The ship began to go down. Alana noticed that Obi-Wan and Anakin’s ship was not landing, and she pursed her lip. They were going after Count Dooku. She pushed it to the back of her mind as the gunship landed quickly. All the Jedi jumped off except for Master Yoda, who took back off, heading towards the forward command center.

They jumped off and met a group of clones, the different ranks showing each group. Master Windu, Master Ki-Adi Mundi, Master Fisto, and Alana each had their own group of clones waiting for their arrival.

Alana was met by a group of four clones. One of them stepped forward to greet her and Sylvan as they arrived.

“Sir, I have the 200th Company awaiting your orders, sir,” the clone announced to her. He had two ear-coms prepped and handed one to both Alana and Sylvan.

As she put the commlink in her ear, Alana looked to see each of the other Jedi speaking with their own clone leaders. Master Windu glanced back and nodded at Alana before taking off towards the command units that he was now in charge of.

“What’s your name, officer?” Alana asked. She noticed that he was a commander, based on the yellow color of his uniform. There was a captain there and another officer.

“My designation is CC-2870,” the commander said. “And this is CC-2887 and CC-2888.”

Alana raised an eyebrow. She could sense Sylvan’s unease beside her at the fact that the clone was a person but with no name.

“No, Commander, what are your names?” Alana asked.

The clone hesitated. He had never told his name to anyone who wasn’t a clone. The Kaminoans didn’t refer to them by their names. He looked to his fellow brothers, who he had been in training with since they were created.

“Commander Bash, sir,” he said. “And this is Captains Cloak and Daggar.”

“Well, Commander Bash,” Alana smiled. “Let’s go kill some droids.”

The group turned and made their way quickly to the battalion of clones. There must have been roughly 200 clones there, all awaiting instruction from Alana. She was shocked at the amount of responsibility that had just been placed in her hands. But there was no time for that. She had to lead.

“Alright, let’s move out!” Alana called, turning and beginning to race towards the fight. The battalion moved quickly after her, and she ignited her lightsaber. The droid battalions suddenly noticed the group charging towards them and began to fire.

Alana could hear Commander Bash giving orders in the com to the other clones as they began to fire on enemy lines. The commander was on Alana’s left shoulder, leading the way with her. Sylvan was on Alana’s right, her lightsaber ignited, deflecting blasts away from herself and the two Captains who were flanking her.

Finally, they came up onto a fortified place with boulders that would provide ample protection for the clones in the 200th Company. Suddenly, off in the distance, there was a blue glow, and the ground guns were all attacking the giant circular ships that were trying to take off into the air.

Alana noticed that one of the battalions was being pressed backward, and she frowned, trying to see who it was.

“Commander!” Alana shouted over to Bash. He dipped back from the open field and looked at her.

“Sir!” He called back.

“We need to reinforce that battalion,” she said. “Send the Generals and whatever men we can spare to their position!”

She turned to Sylvan. “Go with them! I’ve got it covered here.”

“Yes, Master!” Sylvan said. She was eager to lead the troops. It was her first time in battle, but Alana trusted Sylvan’s instincts and the training she had gained so far. Alana watched as her Padawan took off, the captains taking a group of fifty men off to assist the other soldiers. Alana peered over the boulders at the droids. They outnumbered her and her men, but their defensive position was allowing the clones to pick off the droids easily.

Suddenly, Alana noticed droidekas rolling towards them.

“We’ve got more clankers incoming!” Bash yelled to the men. “Send the bombs, just like we practiced, boys!”

Alana watched incredulously as five men tossed bombs with incredible accuracy and perfect speed. They rolled slowly and managed to get under the ray-shields of the droids and exploded.

“Good job!” Alana called to them as she deflected a bullet away from Commander Bash and herself.

That’s when she noticed it. There was a gap in the line of the droids where the droidekas had been.

“There!” She called. “We’ve got to move! We can surround the droids and get around behind them.”

She stood from behind the boulders and led the Company into the middle of the fight. She heard a few men go down, each one making her clench her jaws, but she focused on the battle ahead.

The men managed to gain control of the area, but that was when Alana noticed a droid ship heading right for them, their guns ready to fire. She immediately dropped her lightsaber and reached both her hands up to the droid ship. She closed her eyes, drawing on the life forces of the clones around her in order to bring the ship down before they came into firing range.

“Protect the Jedi!” The Commander’s voice rang out beside her. Alana could feel the clones gathering in a defensive position around her, and she tightened the grip on the ship, and she threw it to the ground. She felt it touch the ground, rattling all around them, and she fell to her knees.

Her eyes opened to see the billowing dust heading straight for them.

“Brace yourselves!” The Commander yelled.

Alana placed her arm up, protecting her eyes and mouth from the dust. It flew into her, whipping her hair back and covering her face. After a few moments, the dust began to settle, and she looked up to see that the droid ship had crashed into the droids and had wiped them all out.

The clones began to stand and straighten up. Seeing that their enemy had been defeated, they cheered.

All around them, the clones and Jedi were finishing off the last of the droids that had been left on Geonosis. Alana let out a sigh of relief as Commander Bash offered his hand down to help her up. The clones were beginning to check on the wounded around them, and airships were making their way towards them filled with medical supplies.

“Well done, Commander,” she said. “Well done.”

“Couldn’t have done it without you, sir,” Bash said. “I’d be glad to fight alongside you any day.”

“Likewise,” Alana said.


	21. The Clone Wars

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm thinking that once I've finished this fanfic, I may write one from Sylvan's POV and do more of her story. What do you guys think? Maybe with some Captain Rex love because I adore him... Let me know what you think in the comments, would you read it?

As the battle subsided, the Jedi gathered to count their losses, and to see what the Separatist army had left. Alana had noticed that Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Master Yoda were missing. As the 200th regrouped, she moved to speak with Master Windu, who was approaching from the east, Sylvan at her side.

"Master," Alana said. "It's good to see you made it through this storm."

"Agreed," Master Windu said, looking around. "Although it seems that not all have weathered through it as we have."

"Do you know where Master Yoda, Master Kenobi, and Anakin are? Or Senator Amidala?" Alana asked.

"No, I don't," Master Windu shook his head. "See if any of the clones can reach them."

"Yes, Master," Alana said, turning and making her way back to Commander Bash, who was doing a final headcount with the two captains of the 200th Company.

"Bash," Alana called. The group turned and looked at her.

"Yes, sir," Bash said, everyone immediately coming to attention. Alana rolled her eyes as Sylvan giggled slightly at the pomp that they were giving her. She knew that her Master hated the formalities of a Jedi life.

"First off, you don't have to come to attention every time I speak to you," Alana said. At her words, everyone dropped to a much more casual stance, easing their minds and relaxing their bodies. "And second, are you able to locate Senator Amidala, Master Yoda, Anakin Skywalker, and Master Kenobi?" She asked.

"Yes, sir," Commander Bash said, immediately using his set of coms to reach out to the other clone leaders to see if anyone had an eye on the Jedi or knew their location. Alana waited, each second making her heart beat faster when finally, the commander looked up.

"Apparently Master Yoda and Senator Amidala escorted Master Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker to one of the medical tents that have been set up just past the forward command center," he said. "Master Yoda is currently on his way back to meet with the rest of the Jedi."

Alana sighed a breath of relief, they were alive.

"Thank you, Commander," she said. "I'm going to head that way. Stay here with Sylvan and see what the Council’s instructions are regarding the situation here on Geonosis."

With that, she turned towards the forward command center, which she could see off in the distance. There were a few white tents that had been set up, with even more on the way. As Alana approached the collection of tents, she could hear people coming and going, with injured clones being escorted into the larger ones. Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of Obi-Wan as the flaps on one of the tents opened slightly.

Alana entered the tent to find him being tended to by a medical droid, muttering about his injuries. From what she could see, he had a deep cut on his arm and one on his leg.

He seemed to sense her entrance, and he turned to her, almost knocking the droid over.

"Obi-Wan, you're alright," she breathed, coming over and standing in front of him as the droid finished fixing his arm by using growth acceleration. It then moved to his leg. She wanted to kiss him, but she decided to keep her distance.

"As are you," Obi-Wan replied. He scanned her body and her face, checking for any injuries, but she seemed to be untouched. He clearly wanted to reach over and hold her, but he did not want to do so even in front of a droid. "What happened down here?"

"We managed to get rid of the droids. I believe that a few escaped, which worries me, but the battle is over," she said. "What of you? And Anakin?"

"Count Dooku managed to escape. And Anakin-" Obi-Wan's voice trailed off. "Anakin is going to be alright, but he lost his hand in the fight against Dooku. We would have died had Master Yoda not shown up when he did."

Alana stared at Obi-Wan, his words not quite connecting in her mind.

"No hand? He lost his hand?"

"He's alright, Alana," Obi-Wan said, reaching past where the droid was working and placing it on her leg. "I promise you that. The medical droids are taking care of him, and the Senator has not left his side."

She sighed in relief, her fears slightly quenched with regards to her brother. With that worry gone, she was able to focus more on Obi-Wan. As soon as the droid had finished its work on Obi-Wan, it left to go attend more clones. Finally, the two of them were alone.

Alana turned to him, wanting desperately to kiss him when suddenly he grabbed her tunic and pulled her into him, and she fell forward into his arms, her legs wrapping around his waist. His lips pressed against hers into a kiss. Alana could feel his hands roaming around her waist, and she tangled her hands into his hair. They kissed passionately, not wanting the moment to end.

When it finally did, they pulled back slightly, their lips still parted from the kiss. Obi-Wan pressed a quick kiss on her lips before speaking.

“I should not have waited so long,” Obi-Wan shook his head. “When I told you that we should be apart, I was trying to rid myself of those feelings, but I see now that I cannot.”

“I feel it too,” Alana whispered. “I tried pushing it away during those years apart, but I could not. And today, when I couldn’t find you right after the battle, I worried as I never have before.”

Suddenly, they heard steps approaching the tent, and Alana jumped back from Obi-Wan to stand in front of him. The flap to the tent opened, and Alana looked over to see Sylvan.

“Master, the Jedi Council is calling for the Jedi to return to the Temple. Apparently more Separatist droids were able to escape than we initially thought,” she said before noticing Obi-Wan sitting on the table. “They would like to speak with you both, Master Kenobi.”

“Of course,” Obi-Wan stood to go with Alana and Sylvan, but he hissed, the pain in his leg still evident.

“Here, let me help you,” Alana said going and letting Obi-Wan lean on her instead of his leg. The two of them made their way out of the tent, with Sylvan leading the way. Some of the clones had taken off their helmets and were talking amongst each other and fixing up their armor.

They made their way back to the 200th Company, where Alana found Cloak and Dagger, who appeared to be the closest of brothers as they were jostling each other about, straightening up only once they noticed Alana's presence. To their right, Bash speaking with another commander.

As they approached, the commander that Alana didn’t know flew to attention, but Bash tapped him.

“Don’t bother, she doesn’t exactly like it,” he said. The other commander hesitated but then relaxed, standing more normally than just before.

“He learns fast,” Sylvan remarked, making the two captains laugh.

“Sir, this is Commander Cody of the 212th,” Commander Bash introduced. “Our battalions have been trained together since the beginning, and we’ve been assigned to the same cruiser.” He nodded at Alana and Obi-Wan as a show of respect instead of coming to attention.

“Good to meet you,” Alana said. “Commanders, the Jedi have ordered our return to Coruscant. Apparently, you’ve already been instructed.”

“Yes, sir,” Bash said.

“The Republic cruiser is ready to transport you back to base,” Commander Cody said to the group of Jedi in front of him. Behind him, suddenly two gunships landed, and they made their way into it, boarding and returning to the main Republic cruiser.

They hung on tightly inside the ship as it took off towards the Republic cruiser. Alana had seen a glimpse of the cruiser before on Kamino, but she had never seen how large it was up close. And there were half a dozen of them around the planet, each with many people in them.

The gunship was guided into the hangar bay of the cruiser, where Alana helped Obi-Wan off the ship.

“Lanie,” he whispered, using her nickname which she had not heard in a long time. “I think I’ll be alright to hobble around on my own.”

Alana gave him a look, her eyebrows raised, but she let him go, watching as he adjusted his stance to better fit his comfort. Then her attention turned to the Republic cruiser. It was huge. There were clones going about the ship, fulfilling their own duties before the ship would depart.

"Follow me, sir, I'll bring you to the bridge," Commander Cody said.

The group made their way towards the elevators and stepped inside. They shot upwards and finally reached the top, where a rather gruff-looking man was standing and giving orders to various clones. He wore a uniform that suggested that he was the Admiral of the ship.

As soon as he noticed the Jedi, he straightened up slightly before approaching them. When he spoke, Alana was a little shocked at his rough accent. *(Picture a Russian/Eastern European accent)*

"Welcome aboard, Jedi. We'll be leaving shortly."

Before they could be introduced, he turned back to the front of his ship and continued to give orders, leaving the group unattended. A handful of other Jedi and some clone leaders had also found themselves on the bridge, much to the clear discontent of the Admiral. As the ship was about to jump to hyperspace, he finally spoke up again.

"Alright, if you're not a Jedi and you're not currently doing anything, please for the love of stars, get off my bridge," he bellowed at the growing mass of people. Just like that, all the clone leaders scattered, with Bash nodding to Alana before bowing out with his captains and Commander Cody. Even the majority of the Jedi still onboard turned to disappear until only Alana, Obi-Wan, and Sylvan remained.

As the ship jumped to hyperspace, Alana decided it was time to leave. She wanted to have a few moments alone with Obi-Wan again. Sylvan went in search of the clone captains to see if she could offer her help, which left Alana and Obi-Wan alone in the middle of a giant Republic cruiser. Unfortunately, there were so many people that they weren't truly alone, so instead, they found a place to go sit in the mess hall.

Alana found herself abnormally tired, so she laid her head down on the table. Pulling down the transport ship of droids had really taken it out of her, something that she had failed to realize.

"Are you alright?" Obi-Wan asked her quietly, placing his hand discreetly on her back.

"I think so, I'm just tired," Alana said, her eyes shutting. "I need to sleep."

"Let's get you to a bed, Obi-Wan said, helping her up.

He stopped a clone trooper as they left the mess hall, and they were pointed to a quiet area of the ship where the quarters were. There were a few areas that were designated for Jedi, and Alana and Obi-Wan stepped inside one that had no occupants.

Obi-Wan led her over to one of the beds and helped her lay down. He turned to leave her side to go lay down in the other bed, but Alana grabbed his hand.

"Stay," she whispered, moving backward on the bed to make room for him. He hesitated for a moment, a small part of him still worried about breaking the Jedi code, but when he saw the look on Alana's face, he knew that his only worry was making sure she was alright.

He slipped into the small bed with her, letting her curl up in his arms, just as they had so long ago on Naboo. His hand tangled itself in her hair and he played with it gently. Her eyes shut quickly and he could feel her body begin to relax into his. When he felt her relax completely and her breathing slow, he knew she was asleep.

"I'm in love with you, Alana," he whispered. "Deeply and wonderfully in love with you."

He let his words fall into empty silence, and he sighed, deciding to try and sleep as the cruiser made its way back towards Coruscant.

When the cruisers were back in orbit around Coruscant, a handful of Jedi were called individually to the Council room to receive their assignments. Many Jedi made their way down to the surface of Coruscant to the Jedi Temple while the ships were refueled and restocked in orbit.

Outside of the Council room, there were quite a few Jedi milling around outside of the room, waiting to receive calls forward to see if they were to be sent to fight elsewhere in the galaxy or continue forward with regular duties as scheduled.

Obi-Wan and Alana were waiting patiently outside the doors when suddenly Alana sensed her brother’s presence. She looked up to see Anakin stepping out of the elevator. Almost immediately they locked eyes, and she noticed the metal hand that he now sported on his right arm.

“Anakin,” she breathed as he came closer. The two of them embraced. It was the first she had seen him since the battle, and she had been worried about him, despite Obi-Wan’s earlier consolations.

“Good to see you too,” Anakin said. “Master,” he said acknowledging the presence of Obi-Wan.

“I’m glad to see you’re alright,” Obi-Wan said. “And the Senator?”

“She’s safely back at her place for the time being.”

Suddenly, Obi-Wan and Anakin were called into the Council room and they parted with Sylvan and Alana. The two women waited patiently for the others to return, and sure enough, Alana watched as Anakin stepped out of the chamber, a proud look on his face. He strode over to Alana and gave her a hug.

“A Jedi Knight in charge of a Republic cruiser, would you look at me now?” He said.

Alana smiled proudly, “I’m happy for you. Be careful out there. Where will you go first?”

“I’m escorting the Senator back to Naboo, and then I will be sent out on another assignment afterward,” he said. Alana looked back, expecting Obi-Wan to be behind Anakin, but he wasn’t. It appeared as though he had not even left the chambers yet.

“Where’s Obi-Wan?” Alana asked.

“He’s been asked to become a sitting member of the Council,” he looked over at the elevator, eager to depart to see the Senator. “I must go, dear sister.”

“Wait,” Alana said, motioning for Sylvan to leave them for a moment. She grabbed her brother’s flesh hand and took a deep breath. They needed to talk about what had happened to Shmi. “Anakin. We need to talk about Mom.”

Anakin’s face contorted to a look of anger and confusion. He pulled his hand back from her, his jaw clenched in anger, his eyes narrowing at her words. 

“No, we don’t,” he said, his voice becoming dangerously low, getting in close to Alana and intimidating her. The shift in his mood startled Alana, causing her to almost recoil from him. “I took care of it."

“Anakin, I’m so sorry,” she whispered, realizing how much he had been affected by their mother’s death. “I loved Mom too, but I couldn’t leave Obi-Wan to die either,” she shook her head and looked down. “Now that I look back," she paused. "I shouldn’t have left you there.”

“No, you shouldn’t have,” he said darkly. “And you won’t bring this up again. You weren’t there to help. You left her. You left us."

“Anakin-” Alana was cut off as Anakin turned and left her side quickly, leaving Alana staring after him as he walked away. She was about to go after him when the Council doors opened, and she was called in. She looked to the Council doors and then back to where Anakin was stepping into the elevator. Their conversation would have to wait. Alana turned and beckoned Sylvan to come with her as she made her way into the Council chamber.

Upon entering the room, both Alana and Sylvan could both sense the somber mood of the Council.

“Masters,” Alana said, bowing to the council members. She noticed Obi-Wan sitting cross-legged in one of the Council chairs between Master Ki-Adi Mundi and another empty chair.

“Thank you for coming, Alana, Sylvan,” Master Windu spoke. “We have a few matters to discuss with you both. First, Alana, Master Plo was witness to a great use of your Force abilities yesterday on Geonosis. Because of this, and your experience as a Jedi Knight, the Council is asking you to become a sitting member of the Jedi High Council, and we are awarding you the title of Master.”

Normally, Alana would have smiled widely at the news, but her heart accepted the news graciously, and she bowed to show her thanks. With all that was running through her mind, and with the events of the past few days, she was in a whirlwind of insanity.

“Thank you, Masters,” she said, looking to the empty seat in the room. She knew in her heart that there had once been a great Jedi sitting in that same seats, but it became apparent to her that they were now gone. “This is an incredible honor.”

“Now, before you take your seat,” Master Shaak Ti’s voice came from the side of the room. “We have two assignments for you. The Council has decided to assign members of the Council and certain Jedi Knights to Republic cruisers across the galaxy.”

“Since you were a part of the battle of Geonosis and have already served alongside the 200th Company, you will be assigned to lead the 403rd Battalion as a General, of which the 200th is a part,” Obi-Wan spoke up.

“Sylvan will act as Commander for the 403rd due to her acts on Geonosis. You both and your troops are being assigned to the Republic cruiser under the command of Admiral Jarvis Ivanov with departure to the Outer Rim effective immediately.”

“Yes, Master,” Alana said, bowing. Her mind wandered to the Admiral on the bridge of the Republic cruiser. She could only hope that it wasn't him. Her mind was brought back to the present when Master Windu spoke.

“Sylvan, you are dismissed for the time being."

Alana watched as Sylvan bowed and exited the room. She then turned back to the Jedi Council. They motioned for her to take a seat, and the meeting proceeded. It went on for a few more hours, with Jedi coming and going quickly as new assignments were handed out and many students were informed of their upcoming trials. As soon as it was over, many of the Jedi left quickly to go to their new assignments. Alana made for the door, but when she realized that Obi-Wan was lingering to speak with Master Windu, she slowed down.

Their eyes met, and he signaled to her to continue without him. Alana nodded and stepped outside the chamber to find Sylvan had already changed and was waiting for Alana. Sylvan now sported new armor built for the Jedi by the clones. It was thin and lightweight, but it would do the job if need be. Hers was a navy blue, subtle, but it suited her.

“Master, I’ve placed all the new equipment in your quarters and I’ve already been in contact with the 403rd to ensure a quick departure. It seems part of the ship needs a few repairs, some kind of malfunction, but it should be up and ready to go by tomorrow morning,” Sylvan said. “I’m planning on getting up there as soon as possible today and examining the schematics of the ship before our departure, as long as that’s alright with you, Master.”

Alana had noticed Sylvan’s eagerness as soon as she had realized that they would be engaged in the middle of a war. She was learning quickly, but she failed to keep a level head through it all.

“Well done, my young Padawan,” Alana said. “But I would like for you now to slow down and take a deep breath."

“But Master, our assignment has already begun and we’re already behind. There is so much left for us to learn about these clones and the technology. Should I not begin now?”

“Sylvan,” Alana said a little more sternly. “We will have time to learn once we leave Coruscant. Right now, you need to understand that war is painful and long and hard. You need your rest and your level-headedness. I see many long battles in our future and being as eager as you are now is what will cause you to miss things that could keep you alive in the future.”

“Yes, Master,” Sylvan said, swallowing her pride and eagerness. She was ready to go again. Her assignment on Naboo had been boring and full of Anakin putting her off and telling her to let him do their assignment himself. Then, finally, the Battle of Geonosis helped her realize that she was able to do things her own and that she didn’t need to be overshadowed or told what to do, but since she valued Alana like an older sister, she listened.

“Now, we’ll meet in the refectory tomorrow morning. Take time to meditate here at the Temple, quiet your mind and slow down. Understand?”

Sylvan bowed and turned to go when Alana reached her hand out and touched her Padawan’s arm gently, a gesture of kindness and care.

“I am proud of what you’ve done, Sylvan. Don’t forget that.”

“Thank you, Master,” Sylvan said, a smile coming to her face before turning and leaving her Master’s presence.

Alana looked up to see Obi-Wan finally leaving the Council room, and she smiled as he approached her.

“Come with me,” he said, taking her hand and leading her down the hallway. When they noticed other Jedi, he dropped her hand and the two of them moved quietly towards Obi-Wan’s quarters. When they arrived, he typed the entry code and stepped in.

As the door slid shut behind them, Obi-Wan turned to her, his steel-blue eyes completely serious, and he said something she never expected him to say.

“Marry me.”


	22. Forever

Alana stood in the middle of Obi-Wan's rooms, staring at him in shock. Surely she must have misunderstood his words. Obi-Wan was clearly waiting for a response, but Alana had none to give him.

So much had happened in the past week, that she was so overwhelmed. First, the assassination attempt, the search for Kamino, her travel to Tatooine, the death of her mother, the Battle of Geonosis, her brother's anger towards her, the beginning of the war, and now Obi-Wan was asking her this. It had only been a week since they had been reunited, and she was already overwhelmed with the emotional stress that she had been through, let alone her physical exhaustion. She stood there, beginning to tremble under the weight of it all when Obi-Wan spoke, stepping towards her.

"Alana?" He asked.

Alana inadvertently took a step back from him.

"I," she started, feeling tears coming to her eyes. "It's too much."

She immediately saw a flash of hurt cross his face, then it turned to confusion.

"Then what is it you want for us? From me?"

"I don't know," Alana started, wiping a few tears from her face quickly, not wanting him to see her. "I know that I care for you," she said. "But everything is happening so quickly and my whole world has changed with these past few days that my head and my emotions are clouding my judgment."

"You said that you had cared for me when we first met and now you say the same," Obi-Wan said, trying to understand her motivations. "Do you not mean it?"

"Of course I do," Alana whispered, reaching her hand up and cupping his cheek. "I am in love with you, Obi-Wan."

"Then why not?" Obi-Wan asked, moving her hand away from his face. "I have been so worried about breaking the code, of the Council finding out my thoughts, but now that I am with you, I have begun to realize that I am a better Jedi with you. The code says that we should use our feelings, and love is one of those feelings. I am stronger and more sure with you, Alana, because of my love. And now that our assignments are leading us apart, I do not know when I will see you again. I want to marry you. I want to know that I am yours and you are mine."

"Our assignments?" Alana asked, stepping back from Obi-Wan. The rest of his words had fallen on deaf ears. She had not even thought to ask where he would be assigned. "They're pushing us apart? I don't want to be away from you, not now."

"You're going to be patrolling the Outer Rim. The cruiser I've been assigned is to return to Kamino and remain there," Obi-Wan said. "I don't even know when I will see you again."

Alana fought back tears as she began to realize that their moments alone were short and would always be that way. She hated to leave his side.

"We have to ask to be reassigned together. I don't want to lose you."

"The Council does as it thinks best. They do not know about us. They cannot know about us," Obi-Wan said. "If we were to ask to be assigned together, they would be suspicious."

Alana clenched her jaw. Obi-Wan was right. If the Council found out they would both be expelled from the Order, and Alana had already done that before. She didn't want to lose what she had fought to get back.

"That's why I want us to get married," Obi-Wan said gently, taking her chin in his hand and pulling it up so that her eyes would meet his. "I want you to be mine. Even if the world is waging war around us, even if I am on the other side of the galaxy, even if you cannot see me, I want you to be mine."

Alana looked into his eyes, seeing how serious he was and how much he cared for her. The steel-blue made her feel safe, made her realize how much he meant.

"I am yours," she said. "I will always be yours."

"Then, Alana Skywalker, will you marry me?"

Alana took a deep breath and smiled up at him.

"Yes, Obi-Wan," she whispered. Alana kissed him passionately, her fears and insecurities melting away. She felt Obi-Wan's arms wrap around her waist, and she placed a hand on his chest. 

After a few moments, the two of them finally broke off the kiss. Alana then began to think of when they would even be able to be married.

"But when? I leave tomorrow with the Jedi cruiser for the Outer Rim."

"Tonight, then," Obi-Wan said. "Let me go and arrange things. Go to your room and wait for me. I'll be back within the hour."

Alana took a deep breath and nodded, her heart beating quickly in her chest at the idea of being with the one she loved. Obi-Wan placed another kiss on her lips before she turned and left the room. She went quickly to her quarters, the doors opening quickly in front of her.

Upon entering, she noted the forest green colored armor that was laid out on her bed. Sylvan must have deposited it there earlier. She went over and examined it closely. There were shoulder and chest plates, lightweight but sturdy, just as Sylvan had been sporting. On the shoulders were the Jedi insignia in black.

Her thoughts did not linger long on the armor or the thought of the impending war because as she examined the armor, she saw her reflection, catching it in the metal of the armor and gasped. She had not been able to shower or properly groom since she had left for Kamino. She looked like hell.

Alana turned to the bathroom, eager to get cleaned up before they got married. She stepped into the shower, letting the water wash her clean. She scrubbed her skin until it was light pink, eager to get the dust and blood off. She was there for a long time before she finally decided enough was enough.

Once she was done, she stepped out and dried off, going to her closet and opening it to reveal her Jedi robes. There were so many of them, for each day of the week, and nicer ones for different occasions. She sighed, realizing that she would have to wear one of those. As she reached back, her hand brushed up against something soft and light, very different from all of her robes.

She pushed them all to the side and looked to see a soft blue dress hiding in the closet. She had completely forgotten about it. It was the dress her mother had worn when she had married Ophrion. It was something Shmi had packed away in Alana's bag when she had been taken from Naboo. It was something she had wanted Alana to remember her by.

Alana had left it at the Temple when she had left in a hurry as a young Padawan. She had left without even returning to her room. The Jedi must have kept it for her in case she ever returned. She pulled it out of the closet and looked at it in the light of her room.

It was a soft lace and satin dress, embroidered with flowers along the sleeves and the hem of the dress. She set it out, unbuttoning the back before stepping inside. She pulled it up and buttoned herself inside. It fit her perfectly. Then she went to fix her hair that was falling damply past her chest. She pulled it back and braided it into a bun, letting a few pieces fall out in the front.

Alana slipped on a pair of shoes before smoothing her dress and looking at herself in the mirror. The blue dress hugged her curves, her cheeks rosy from excitement. 

"Alana," a voice came from behind her. Alana whirled around in surprise, almost falling over at the sound of someone in the room. In front of her was her father, the same image Alana had of him when she had been a child. He was shrouded in blue light. Alana stepped towards him, unable to believe her eyes.

"Dad?" She whispered.

"You look beautiful, my little angel," Ophrion said, his eyes shimmering with tears.

"How are you here?" Alana gasped.

"I had some help from a friend of yours," he said, looking back at something Alana could not quite see. "You look beautiful. I am glad that I can see you here, now."

Alana reached out to touch him, but her hand went right through. She bit her lip, feeling tears brimming on her face. She looked around the room, searching for anyone else who was seeing this, but she was alone.

"I'm proud of you," Ophrion said, calling her attention back to him. "Every step of the way, I've been proud of you. You've done well for yourself. And I'm happy that you're trusting in your feelings, in every part of your journey."

"Thank you," Alana whispered.

"I know you have many questions for me, but I don't have much time left to see you," he said sadly. "Just know I am always looking out for you. No matter what, angel."

"I love you, Dad," Alana said quietly.

"I love you too, my little angel," Ophrion responded.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door that startled Alana. She turned and looked at it, before turning back to where her father had been, but the place where he had stood was now empty.

She took a deep breath and wiped away the lingering tears before approaching the door, unsure of who it was. She grabbed her brown Jedi robe and wrapped it around her so that the dress was hidden underneath before answering the door. It slid open to reveal Obi-Wan, who had also changed and cleaned up since the last time they saw one another.

"Are you ready?" He asked. 

Alana nodded, and he smiled at her. She glanced back to the spot where her father had stood, her mind wondering if it had been a small figment of her imagination. She shook the thoughts out of her head and took a deep breath before leaving her room. The two of them made their way quickly through the Temple. Once they got to the landing bay, Alana noticed that the sun had begun to set.

"Where are we going?" Alana asked as they stepped inside a transport.

"You'll see," Obi-Wan replied.

The transport took off, heading towards an older part of Coruscant. Alana and Obi-Wan sat side-by-side in silence, their excitement being all of the connection they needed.

The transport finally landed in an area of seemingly abandoned buildings. As they stepped off, Obi-Wan slipped a few coins to the driver and told him to return in a few hours. Alana watched as they took off when suddenly, the sound of trickling water filled her ears.

The buildings were old, created out of yellow stone, similar to the palace on Naboo. There was even some moss creeping through the buildings as Alana had never seen before. Obi-Wan's hand took hers, and he guided her down an alleyway, the water becoming louder.

"Here we are," Obi-Wan said quietly, pushing back an ancient door. Alana gasped at the sight in front of her.

It was a small courtyard full of grass and ancient willows swaying above it. There was a fountain of running water that glimmered in the light of the sunset in the middle. Flowers bloomed all kinds of bright hues.

"How did you find this place?" Alana asked, her hand reaching out to touch some of the sweeping through the leaves of the willow tree. "And on Coruscant?"

"It's been a secret of mine since I was a Padawan," Obi-Wan said, smiling at her reaction. "In my spare time, I used to explore the city. Qui-Gon had mentioned the glory of the ancient city, and so naturally, I came in search of it."

"It's beautiful," Alana whispered.

That's when she remembered that he had not seen her dress. She turned away from him for a moment, taking off her brown cloak and turning back to Obi-Wan. He was captivated by the way she looked, immediately reaching out and touching the dress gently.

"You look beautiful," he said, pulling her in for a kiss. Alana smiled into it, loving the feeling of being in his arms, being so close to him. They broke apart, with Alana about to thank him, when suddenly there was a rustling sound behind them. She turned to see a hulking figure coming towards them when a familiar loud voice spoke.

"Hey-hey! I see you brought the beautiful bride!"

Alana turned to see none other than Dex Jettster behind them. He had cleaned up from the last time they had spoken, having replaced his clothes from the diner with a nicer outfit.

"Dex?" Alana questioned, looking to Obi-Wan.

"I trust him. And in order to make this union official, we needed an officiant," Obi-Wan said. "And two people to watch."

Alana looked up to see his R4 unit and the diner droid coming in together behind Dex.

"I hope it's alright. He knows that this is to be kept secret. So do the droids," he said quietly in her ear. Alana smiled up at him, but before she could respond, she was pulled into a hug by Dex. She felt a bit squished by his large arms, but she accepted it gratefully, happy to see another person there for them.

"You two clean up great," Dex said, finally pulling apart. "You ready to be married?"

"Yes," Alana and Obi-Wan said, looking over at each other. They moved over, closer to the fountain, and Dex began to read out of an old book, beginning the wedding ceremony.

Alana barely listened to what he was saying. She was too busy looking at Obi-Wan. She could feel his presence in the Force stronger than ever. It was just as she had remembered it the first time she had met him, strong, kind, warming, and unwavering. She could feel him reaching out to her, wrapping around her, filling her spirit, and it was more beautiful than anything she had ever experienced.

She didn't remember the words she spoke to him during the ceremony; she didn't remember Dex speaking; she didn't even remember what Obi-Wan said, but she did remember the shocking and almost blinding connection they had in the Force. She almost gasped at the even deeper connection that formed once they were pronounced husband and wife.

Dex congratulated the two of them, trying to stay around and celebrate, but he quickly realized that the two of them were two mesmerized with each other. He left, bringing the droids with him.

Alana and Obi-Wan stood there for a little while longer, basking in the beauty of it all. Alana had never felt the way that she did at that moment. The worries and cares of yesterday and tomorrow fell from her mind. There was nothing there except the two of them.

They eventually made their way back to the Jedi Temple, sneaking in quietly and calmly passing the guards, hidden in their robes. Obi-Wan led her towards his room. When he pulled her inside, he shut the doors, setting them to be locked behind the two of them.

He turned back to her, his eyes shining with his love for her, and he took her hand, pulling her close to him. They kissed, swaying slightly to music that only they could hear. Slowly they made their way towards the bed, with Obi-Wan leading the way.

That night was full of passion. Alana had heard stories of what it felt like to truly and completely be connected with someone, and now she knew for herself how perfect it was. Alana and Obi-Wan completed each other in every sense of the word, mentally, physically, emotionally, and even in the Force, they were together.

Each kiss, each touch, each breath on each other's skin fueled them, and after a long time together spent in pure bliss, the two of them fell asleep, cradled in each other's arms, perfect and complete for the first time.


	23. Shipping Off

The sunlight was what woke Alana the next morning. It streamed in from the window beside the bed. She felt Obi-Wan beside her, his skin touching hers softly. She turned slowly in bed, stifling a yawn.

Her eyes came into contact with his, and she gave him a smile, her hands coming up and tracing the crinkles around his eyes when he smiled.

"Good morning," Obi-Wan said.

"You have a habit of watching me sleep, don't you?" Alana said, moving her hand down to his bare chest and shaking her head as he smiled down at her.

"You look peaceful when you sleep," he replied, brushing her hair out of her face and taking her hand in his. "And I love waking up beside you. Your snore is quite cute also."

Alana rolled her eyes and moved her hands to his chest, pushing him away from her playfully. Before he slid too far, he pulled her with him, rolling so that she was straddled on top of him, the only thing between them a thin blanket. She stared down at him, licking her lips before bringing herself closer to him and kissing.

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Alana jumped back and dove under the sheets.

"Go. Hide in the bathroom," Obi-Wan whispered, turning and pulling on his pants and tunic as he made way for the door. Alana grabbed her dress from the previous night and raced into the bathroom, hissing as the door slid shut loudly behind her. She listened as Obi-Wan went to the door and answered.

"Good morning, Master," Sylvan said. "Sorry to bother you. I was, uh, wondering if you had seen Master Skywalker anywhere? I went to her room and the mediation rooms, but I can't find her. I thought maybe she might be here?"

Alana clenched her teeth. Her Padawan was very smart, it would be difficult to keep their relationship secret.

"No, young one, she is not here. I haven't seen her since we spoke after the Council meeting yesterday. I thought you had shipped out," Obi-Wan said. "Have you checked the archives?"

"Oh, no," Sylvan replied, her voice reflecting her embarrassment. "Thank you, Master Kenobi. Sorry to disturb you."

Alana remained hidden in the bathroom until Obi-Wan opened the door and peered in.

"That was close," he said, noting that she had pulled back on her dress. "I suppose we should get going."

Alana pursed her lips, her happiness from the previous night and from waking up beside him vanishing in smoke. Obi-Wan seemed to notice her mood change and came in, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her.

"I don't want to let go," she whispered, her face buried in his chest, taking in the way he smelled, the way he felt around her. "And I don't want to leave you."

"I know," Obi-Wan replied, his hands rubbing her back gently. "I do not wish to part ways either, but at some point, we must. Sylvan is getting anxious to go, and we both have to continue to fulfill our duties as Jedi."

Alana sighed and pulled back from his embrace.

"I have two things for you," Obi-Wan said. "Come."

He held his hand out for her, and she took it, letting him lead her out of the bathroom and back into the room. He pulled her towards where he had left his shoes and reached inside to a small concealed pocket inside them and pulled something out. When he turned to her, one hand contained two communication devices.

"Dex gave these to me. They can piggyback on any frequency. Any transmissions we send to and from each other will go completely undetected, no matter how far the range."

Alana smiled and took one, placing it in the pocket of her robe. Then she watched as he opened up his other hand and holding up two rings of different sizes each on its own silver chain necklace.

"One for you to remember me by, one for me to remember you by," he said. "I had a message inscribed on them, something you will remember me for."

Alana gasped and took the smaller one he had handed her. It was lightweight and silver. She held it up in the light, noting the small scrawl on the inside of the band. It was almost illegible

"I am always with you," Alana read off.

"No matter where you are," Obi-Wan replied, lifting his ring up and showing it to her.

"They're beautiful," Alana whispered, touching her ring. She watched as he clasped his chain around his neck before offering to put her ring around hers, which she let him do quickly. She brushed her hair to the side, letting her neck show. As soon as Obi-Wan had placed it around her neck, he placed a kiss to her skin, a shiver racing down Alana's neck. She turned back to him, her hand still clutching the necklace with the ring.

"I will always be with you," Obi-Wan said, placing a kiss on her lips. That was something Alana thought she could never get tired of, but she knew that she had to go.

"I have to go," she whispered, looking up into Obi-Wan's steel-blue eyes.

"Be careful out there in the Outer Rim," he said. "And try to contact me whenever you can."

"I will," Alana nodded. "I love you, Obi-Wan."

"And I love you, Alana," Obi-Wan replied, pulling her in tightly for one last embrace before Alana turned to the door. She pulled her robes around her tightly so that she was concealed underneath the dark cloth. Then, she opened the door, taking one last look at where Obi-Wan stood alone in the middle of his room before departing swiftly.

Once she reached the safety of her room, she flung her robe on the edge of the bed and sat for a moment, centering herself for the coming days. As much as she wanted to allow herself to daydream of the previous night and of her new husband, there were many things that needed to happen, and her role as a Jedi was becoming the most important thing on her mind.

After focusing her mind, she finally stood and began to prepare. She packed a small bag, filling it with only the necessary equipment and clothes. She wrapped the communication device in her robe and packed it away before changing out of her dress.

She put on her tan pants and her usual pale green tunic, tied at her waist with a brown belt. She slipped her necklace down underneath her robes before turning to her armor. There was a chest guard that was measured to fit her perfectly as she slipped it on over her head and tightened it around her neck. Then, there were three pieces of armor for her arms, each one fitted so that she had a free range of motion with her hands. For her legs, they had modified the stormtrooper armor to fit her feet and she wore long and black armored boots that came up just below the knee.

Once it was all on, she tested it out, jumping and stretching to see if the armor obstructed her motion in any way. The only part of it that she didn't like was the chest plate. It had clearly been designed for the clones, and while it fit her, it was bulky and oddly-shaped. She decided that it would be best to go without.

Once everything was ready. Alana grabbed her small bag and left her quarters, heading outside to the landing area. There were many Jedi up there, gathered with their clone troopers. It was difficult to figure out who was who, as the clones all looked alike apart from their hairstyles and designations.

"General!" A voice called. Alana turned to see Commander Bash standing near one of the gunships with a couple of clone troopers in tow.

"Commander," Alana said, making a mental note at the way he looked in order to better tell him apart. His hair was cut neat and short, but he was marked by the blue stripes that littered his brown hair, and he had a scar that cut through the middle of his eyebrow. His helmet, which was resting in his hand, had a yellow stripe down the middle, denoting him as a commander.

"Sir," he replied, nodding out of respect for her. The two clones behind him stood straighter in her presence, although Alana was happy to see that they were not standing up stiff and straight at attention. For her, it made her uncomfortable, and she wanted the troops to conserve as much energy as possible.

"We're going to have to wait for my Padawan," Alana said. "Unfortunately, for all her skills, being on time is not one of them. I suppose being seventeen makes one want to sleep in."

Even though she knew her Padawan was searching for her, Alana did not want to admit that she had heard her earlier. It was best to just forget about it.

"Should we send someone for her, sir?" Bash asked.

"No, no, Bash, she should be coming outside right-" Alana paused, sensing the growing strength of Sylvan's presence in the Force. "Now."

Just as she spoke, Sylvan rounded the corner, dressed in white armor, a small bag in hand. She spotted her Master, and Alana could feel her realize that she was late. She raced over to the group and skidded to a halt in front of Alana.

"Sorry, Master, I was looking all over for you. You had said to meet in the refectory, and when you weren't there I just assumed-" Sylvan realized that she was out of breath and that Bash and Alana were both looking at her, their eyebrows raised at her fast-talking.

"Yes, I see," Alana said. "You're still late."

Sylvan pursed her lips and sighed. There was no sense in arguing with her Master on that point. She had tried to find her, but she had failed to remember that the landing platform would have been the perfect place to go when she couldn't find Alana.

"Come on," Alana said. "Let's get out of here."

The group loaded onto the gunship and the doors shut tightly around them as the ship took off into the sky. Sylvan was holding tightly to one of the bars above her as the ship swayed slightly. The clones remained relatively quiet, trying to get a feel for the new General and the new Commander.

"Sylvan," Alana said, noting her Padawan's uneasy silence. "Clear your thoughts. I'll need you to be focused once we arrive on the ship. You have a lot of things to show me since you've been studying the schematics of the ship all night."

"How did you know?" Sylvan asked, surprised.

"Your obvious silence, clearly something else is on your mind. Your tardiness, and the fact that in your pocket you have some data from the archives. Does Master Jocasta know that you've borrowed it?"

"I made copies!" Sylvan exclaimed. She stopped herself and took a deep breath after realizing her outburst. She proceeded to finish speaking much more calmly. "I made copies, Master. And I would be happy to show you everything. Although, I'm sure the clones could do a better job."

"Nonsense," Alana replied, giving her Padawan a smile. "I trust you just as much, my young Padawan."

"Sir, we're approaching the ship," Bash said, turning to the two Jedi.

"Good," Alana said. "I'd like to head for the bridge first and become acquainted with the Admiral of the ship. Once that's done, a thorough tour and inspection of the ship before meeting with all clone officers of the 403rd Legion."

"Yes, sir, I'll make sure that is arranged," Bash replied.

Suddenly, the ship stopped, demonstrating to the passengers that they were onboard the Republic cruiser. The doors opened, and Alana was shocked to see a formal clone welcome in front of her, with two rows of clones on either side of the ship. She hopped off the gunship, Sylvan at her side.

"Make sure the Commander's and the General's bags each get to their quarters," Commander Bash said to the two clones that had accompanied them. Then, he stepped up beside her. They looked down the rows of clones, all standing at attention.

"Bash," Alana said. "What happened to trying NOT to be so official?" She asked, giving him a pointed look.

"Sorry, sir. Admiral's orders. He's expecting you on the bridge," Bash replied, motioning towards the far elevator doors. Alana let him lead them down the rows of clones who all stood up at attention. As they reached the elevator, they were joined by Cloak and Dagger, the two captains of the 200th Company.

As they stepped inside, Alana decided to drill Sylvan.

"Sylvan, tell me what you've learned of the 403rd," she said. Sylvan looked around at the three clones in the elevator with them before looking back at her Master. *(please see my note at the end if confused).*

"Uh, well, the Commander of the 403rd Battalion, which consists of 660 men is Commander Bash here. The battalion is made up of four companies, each led by its own captain, except for the 200th Company, which is led by both Captain Cloak and Dagger. Although, they have self-titled the company 'Blitz Company'," Sylvan said, shooting a look at the two captains for confirmation.

"Now look who's learning fast," Dagger said, giving Sylvan a smile before she continued to speak.

"In each company, there are four platoons led by a lieutenant. In each platoon, there are four squads of roughly 8 men led by a sergeant. And that's just the basic structure of the 403rd, Master," Sylvan said. "Would you like me to give you a list of each officer? Not to mention the manifest and log of the crew on the ship."

Alana raised an eyebrow at her Padawan, impressed by the amount of research she had managed to memorize and look at in just one night. Sylvan reminded Alana of herself when she had memorized the personnel files of each Jedi.

"Well done, my young Padawan. I think you have impressed our companions," she noted the look of surprise etched on each of the three officers' faces. "And you have impressed me. There will be more time for this later, for now, I believe we've arrived."

At that moment, the elevator dinged and the door slid open. When they stepped off the bridge, Alana realized that Admiral Jarvis Ivanov was none other than the gruff, heavy-accented man that had brought her back to Coruscant. He still sported his scraggly beard and his bald head, his dark brown eyes almost piercing Alana's when they made contact.

"General Skywalker," the Admiral acknowledged, nodding his head to her. He didn't even bother acknowledging Sylvan's presence before launching into statistics and information about the ship and general rules. 

"While I welcome you on board, there are a few things that need to be stated before we depart for the Outer Rim," he started, motioning Alana over to the large communications bay. "Now, while you are in charge of your own men on this ship, this is my ship, and I have over 6000 crew members on it, not to mention the five battalions of foot soldiers you've brought on board. If it comes down to saving you on the surface of a planet or my ship and my crew, I will leave you."

Alana's eyebrows raised. She understood the necessary risks of being involved with this war, but to have someone she didn't know lay it all out so bluntly shocked her.

"Now, I run a tight ship. There is a schedule to run each day on-board. Each morning there will be an officers' meeting to go over any new developments," he paused as one of the clone officers came up and handed Alana a timetable with the runnings of the ship on it. "And we will absolutely stick to this schedule. If, and when, we are engaged in a firefight, I will discuss tactics and strategies with you, but where this cruiser goes is up to me, and where your men go is up to you," he looked out the front of the ship and sighed. "Now, we are heading to patrol the Outer Rim, with our first official destination being Mon Calamari, which we will reach in two weeks' time, where we will rendezvous with your Jedi Master Kit Fisto and his fleet."

Alana nodded, taking in all of the new information.

"Admiral, how many ships comprise your fleet?" Alana asked. She knew that he had mentioned the 5 battalions of troopers onboard their vessel alone.

"We will be traveling with two other Republic cruisers," he replied. “When needed, however, the cruisers may be reassigned to help other parts of the Republic fleet.”

“Good,” Alana didn’t really like the Admiral, but she could sense that he had a lot of pride for his ships and men, and he clearly knew exactly how to run things. “If you don’t mind, Admiral, I would like to tour and inspect the ship. I know we have a few hours in hyperspace before our arrival in the Outer Rim.”

“Yes, General. You will find the ship in pristine condition. I will call for your arrival before we reach the Outer Rim,” the Admiral said stiffly. 

He turned back to the clones and back to give orders to prepare the ship to take off into orbit around the planet. Clearly, he felt that their introduction had been sufficient.

Alana felt the ship move slightly as it took off into the air around Coruscant. It rose very slowly, taking a few minutes to pass through the atmosphere of the planet into space. She took that time to look around the bridge, counting the number of officers and the various stations.

Finally, the ship arrived in orbit around Coruscant. Alana moved out of the way of the crew, coming to stand at the front window and watched as the ship turned and headed further out, jumping into hyperspace.

As soon as they parted, Alana felt Obi-Wan’s presence in the Force become distant, the warmth fading to a slight glow. She closed her eyes, trying to center herself back on the mission at hand. Her hand flew up to where the necklace with the ring was tied around her neck. She smiled to herself, finding comfort in knowing that even though they would be far away, she would still be able to feel him.

“Master,” Sylvan’s voice came from behind her.

Alana turned to see her Padawan and Bash waiting for her patiently. Cloak and Dagger had disappeared back to their company.

“Well, I suppose it’s high time I get to see the ship and meet all of the 403rd,” Alana said. “Come on you two, show me the way.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I made a mistake with the names and formatting of the army (yay for Wookieepedia research lol) so I'm fixing a few things but it won't be 100% canonically correct. Anyways, Alana is actually in charge of the 403rd Battalion and the 200th Company aka Blitz Company!!! Sorry for any confusion. -Rach


	24. A Memory

"And lastly, here is where the port side cannons are. About four men man them at a time, but while we're traveling in hyperspace, they’ve been moved to another division for the time being," Sylvan's voice echoed in the hallway of the Jedi cruiser.

She had managed to bring the group on every deck, in every hall, every crevice, and minute detail of the ship had been covered. Sylvan had gotten very good at memorizing details and facts for each mission, but at the moment, Alana was concerned that she was a bit too good.

"It's over?" Alana asked.

"I could tell you more about the power capacities and hyperspace a-"

"No, please, Sylvan," Alana interrupted her. "I think you've covered quite enough for now."

The two Jedi exchanged looks before glancing back at the two troopers Bash had assigned to accompany them. They looked bored and tired beyond belief. After spending nearly three hours touring the ship, they were all tired of hearing Sylvan spout facts and statistics, even if they didn't say it.

"I thought you wanted to know everything, Master," Sylvan said as they made their way toward the elevator. 

She watched as Alana stifled a yawn. Sylvan stopped and crossed her arms across her chest. "When I yawn during your lectures, you criticize me, but when you do it, it's fine?"

"Well, my young Padawan," Alana started. "When I was your age-"

"Oh, here we go again," Sylvan said, rolling her eyes and beginning to walk towards the main hangar.

"What? Don't you want to know how your Master had to go through all of the same training as you? All the boring lectures and training sessions?"

"No, no, I'd rather not. Please, Master."

"Well, that settles it, then. You can't complain," Alana said before falling back to the troopers they were accompanying. Sylvan still stalked forward in front of them, clearly thinking and failing at coming up with a rebuttal.

"Troopers, is there a way to contact the Commander without having to stop at one of the communications stations?"

"Yes, sir," the clone to Alana's right said. "You'll need your com channel that should be attached to your left or right arm armor."

Alana frowned and held up her left arm, seeing a row of buttons on her forearm that she hadn't noticed when she had been putting on her armor.

"Oh, and how exactly does this work?" She asked.

The troopers exchanged glances before deciding it was best to stop in the hallway for a moment and teach Alana the different buttons and their functions and how to reach a certain clone trooper or Jedi. 

Unfortunately, Sylvan did not stop, and she continued down the hallway for a few minutes, lost in her thoughts. Before she realized it, she had reached the main hangar before turning around and noticing that Alana and the troopers were no longer behind her.

"You have got to be kidding me," she groaned. She looked down at her comlink and opened a direct channel to Alana. "Master," she said.

At that moment, Alana had been trying to reach Commander Bash over her comlink, but before she had been able to contact him, one of the lights on the buttons had begun to flash, and she pressed it, hearing Sylvan's loud voice almost immediately.

"Master!"

"Good grief," Alana replied, looking up, expecting Sylvan to be standing in front of her, a smirk on her face, but Sylvan was nowhere to be found. "Sylvan, where have you run off to now?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing, Master," Sylvan's voice patched back through. "I made it all the way to the main hangar bay. What happened to you?"

"We stopped to figure out how this comlink works," Alana replied. "I was just about to call the Commander when you appeared over the coms. Meet us up in the officers' quarters in a few minutes."

"Yes, Master," Sylvan said before the transmission stopped.

After that, Alana was able to contact Commander Bash and let him know that they were on their way. As Alana reached the officer's quarters with the two troopers, she saw that most of the clones had already gathered. She made her way through the room towards the front where Commander Bash stood with Captains Cloak and Dagger and three other captains. Also in the room were officers of various ranks the 403rd. In all, there were about 65 men in the room. 

"Sir," Commander Bash said. "Good to see you survived your tour. It was a bit longer than expected."

"Yes, we can thank my Padawan for that. I had a full training course on the inner workings of the ship," Alana replies, before looking around, noting her Padawan was yet again absent.

"Did the Commander get lost?" Bash asked, noting Sylvan's absence.

"No, according to her, I lost her and not the other way around."

"This is a large ship," Captain Cloak said. "Easy for a shiny like either of you to get lost."

"A shiny?" Alana asked.

"Cloak!" Captain Dagger hissed, elbowing his co-Captain.

"Oh it's alright, it's not like we're talking with the Admiral," Cloak said before turning back to Alana. "A shiny is what we call a clone who hasn't had any battle experience. Now, you've had battle experience, just not much experience on the ship."

"I see," Alana replied, raising an eyebrow. Cloak looked between Alana and Dagger before realizing she wasn't as amused as he thought she'd be.

"Oh, uh, sorry, General. I just- I thought-"

"Why don't you just zip it, brother?" Dagger said.

Alana looked over at Commander Bash who was watching the entire interaction in silence, clearly trying to keep from getting involved. Our of the corner of his eye he spotted Sylvan entering the room and he nodded in her direction as she made her way to the front.

"Found the little one," Bash said, just as Sylvan arrived beside her Master.

"Little one?" Sylvan asked. "I'm- I'm 17! And technically- I outrank you!

"In my book, experience outranks everything," Commander Bash replied, looking down to where Sylvan was trying to prove herself to be better than him. Alana sighed and shook her head.

"He's right, Sylvan. While as a Jedi you may outrank the soldiers, that does not mean that you can flaunt it. You and I can both learn a lot from these men. The path to wisdom is paved with humility," Alana said.

Sylvan nodded her head before turning to Commander Bash and apologizing for the way that she had just treated him.

"Now, let's begin," Alana said, nodding to the Commander.

"General on deck!" Commander Bash yelled into the officers quarters, over the murmur of the officers’ chatter. Immediately, they all jumped to attention, the silence almost deafening. "We're going to begin this meeting. This may be the only time we all will meet in one place again, so listen up! This here is General Skywalker and Commander Poreth. They will be the Jedi leaders of the 403rd. Any orders from them are final, and I expect you all to tell your men the same. Now, I'd like you to hear from them."

He looked over at Alana and Sylvan and nodded.

Alana turned and addressed the men who had all gathered around her.

"At ease, soldiers. It's good to have you all here and to be here to serve alongside you. Hopefully I will get a chance to meet you all in person, but if I do not, know that I value all that you are doing to fight for freedom and democracy for all peoples in the galaxy. With your help and your sacrifices, the Republic can win this war.”

Alana was going to continue, but she was interrupted by an announcement.

"Attention all crew, please report to your posts. We're coming out of hyperspace in five minutes," Admiral Jarvis Ivanov's voice came over the cruiser's communications bay. The officers all hesitated, looking to Alana for direction. Since they were under her command as foot soldiers, they followed her directions.

"Sir," Commander Bash said. "They're waiting for your word."

"I would have liked to say more, but work must continue. You're all dismissed. We'll maintain usual meetings throughout our time onboard according to the Admiral's schedule," Alana said, nodding to the men.

She watched as the officers quickly filed out of the room, with Commander Bash calling out orders as he followed after them. Suddenly, the two Jedi were the only ones left in the meeting area.

"To the bridge, Master?" Sylvan asked.

Alana smiled at her Padawan and nodded. The two of them made their way up, trying their best to stay out of the Admiral's way as the cruisers came out of hyperspace. They were in the middle of the Outer Rim, with no planets or stars nearby. All of space seemed empty and dark. Alana could sense her Padawan's confusion.

"We're patrolling the Outer Rim. Sometimes that means we have to be in the middle of nowhere."

"Space is normally so beautiful to me," Sylvan breathed. "But this-" she looked out of the window on the bridge. "This makes me feel all alone."

Alana sighed. When she had been much younger, there had been days where she had felt the same way.

"Close your eyes," she said.

Sylvan looked at her Master for a moment before closing her eyes, facing the window in front of her.

"Reach out. Feel the Force. The balance between dark and light, life and death," Alana said. "Breathe."

She watched as Sylvan calmed herself, her energy in the Force stabilizing and calming down.

"You are not alone. You are never alone," Alana said.

At her words, Sylvan opened her eyes, her ears perked up a little higher than before.

"Thank you, Master," she said.

"Now, get some rest. We'll meet in the morning for training. You'll need to learn battle tactics and strategies to be ready when we have to fight."

Sylvan bowed her head and turned, making her way off the bridge. Alana stood at the front, watching as they traveled through space slowly and steadily. They had much to do.

———————————————————————

The days went by, with Alana supervising Sylvan's training. The two of them also ended up participating in the clones’ training. They had fallen into a routine, waking up and training in the morning with the clones followed by meditation and meetings in the afternoon.

In the evenings, Alana would dismiss Sylvan, and she would return to her room and pull out the communications device and talking with Obi-Wan. Unfortunately, their conversations were quick, as Obi-Wan had been reassigned from Kamino to the battlefront, and was in the middle of a war zone on the opposite side of the Outer Rim.

It was one such night where Alana was calling him and his communications signal cut off, with the holographic image of him disappearing. She tried calling again, but she couldn't get patched through to him. After a few minutes of trying, she finally gave up, wishing that they didn't have to be so far apart and hoping that he was alright.

Alana flopped down on her bed, staring up at the ceiling, when she heard something outside her room. 

It was a whisper, something dark and not quite loud enough to hear. The whisper was followed by the sound of wind whistling through trees and the sound of trickling water, something Alana had heard a long time ago, but couldn't quite put her finger on it. 

She sat up straight, a shiver running down her spine. 

"Hello?" She said out loud, scanning her room. Searching for a sign that she wasn't going crazy. "Is anyone out there?"

Suddenly, the whisper came again, the sound echoing outside of Alana's doors. She stood quickly and slipped on her robe over her plain clothes. She opened the door to her room and peered out into the deserted hall, the echo of the whisper still ringing in her ears.

"Hello?" She asked again.

"Follow me."

Alana jerked back, the words sounding as if they had been whispered into her ear. Then she saw it. A dark robe, something she had only seen in her dreams. Beneath it, Alana knew, was the man who killed her father. She gasped and watched the man turn the corner, vanishing out of sight.

"Come back!" She called, racing after it. When she reached the corner where the man had vanished, she spotted him turning into one of the rooms. "Where the hell are you going?" She hissed to herself, her hand resting on her lightsaber. She raced down to the door and stood in front, waiting for it to open, but it wouldn't budge. 

"Come on, come on!" Alana said impatiently, turning to the control panel and opening it up. She searched for the right wire for a moment before finding it and ripping it apart with her bare hands. She accidentally touched a spark of electricity, causing her to gasp in pain, but she was too focused to spend much time on her pain.

Suddenly the doors slid open, and she peered into the room. It was pitch black inside, but Alana didn't know enough about the ship to turn on the lights. She ignited her lightsaber, using it for light before stepping into the room.

"You've got to be kidding me," she whispered, looking around at the walls around her. The green glow of her lightsaber illuminated the room just enough for her to make out a few things. It was a storage room, filled with various supplies for their voyage. There was a lingering chill in the room, but entire place was empty.

"I'm going insane. He's not here," Alana sighed.

Just as she was about to turn and leave, a red lightsaber came up against hers, and Alana barely had enough time to counter the attack. She looked up, trying to catch a glimpse at her attacker's face and she gasped at what she saw in front of her. It was herself, but as a Sith, just like she had seen in the trials.

Alana's yellow eyes reflected back at her, sneering in anger.

"You forgot, didn't you?" She asked. "You forgot all about me."

"I don't know you," Alana replied, using all her energy to push back against the Sith. "I will never know you."

"You've already been me," the Sith replied, beginning to laugh, pushing Alana off and sending her to the floor. Alana quickly stood back up, the two of them beginning to circle around each other.

"What are you talking about?" Alana looked around the room for the man in the black. "Where is he? What is going on?" She was frustrated, and her mind was confusing her. This wasn't real.

As if sensing her thoughts, the Sith Alana sneered at her.

"This is very real, Alana. But it looks like we need to do something about your memory."

Before Alana could respond, a large trunk filled with supplies came raining down from the sky. Alana managed to catch the trunk, using her Force abilities to hold it up so that it didn't come down on her head. The two of them struggled there for a few moments, the tense concentration silenced the room around Alana other than her own breath.

She focused hard on the trunk, using all of her strength against the darkness, managing to throw it back at the Sith, who was immediately thrown to the floor. Alana collapsed to the floor, looking over to see that the Sith was gone. She rolled over, completely out of breath when the room around her suddenly seemed to freeze. She could no longer hear the hum of the ship or the sensation of the ship moving through space.

All she could feel was him. The man in black.

"Hello, my child," he said. Alana looked up to see the man in black standing over her, his face obstructed by darkness.

"Who are you?" Alana whispered, struggling to get up from where she was laying on the floor, but she couldn't move. She watched as his hand reached down and touched her forehead.

"You will remember."

The world went black, and Alana lay still.


	25. Denial

"Due to your actions and violations of the Jedi Code, Alana Skywalker, you should be expelled from the Jedi Order, never to return," the voice of one of the Masters of the Council spoke.

Alana found herself in the middle of the Council chambers back on Coruscant. It was the day that she had left the Order all those years ago.

"However, certain members of the Council have vouched for you, and the Jedi Council has decided to offer you the option of leaving the Jedi Order of your own volition immediately, but in good graces, or you will be forcibly removed from the Jedi Order. With the first option, you may return to the Temple as a non-member; however, with the last you may never return."

Alana's eyes flickered over to where her Master sat in his seat at the Council, his eyes full of anguish. Upon catching her eye, he looked away, unable to help the Padawan that he had failed.

With as much dignity as she could, she turned and left the room quickly. She had devoted the last 13 years of her life to the Jedi and they had abandoned her without even batting an eye.

Alana made her way quickly out of the Temple, tears stinging her face. She was blinded by them, and she could feel herself beginning to get angry.

When she arrived at the landing platform, she heard a familiar voice.

"Alana?" It was her friend, Shaak Ti. They had been friends since their time together as Younglings. She was standing with her Master on the platform, and when she saw her friend, she stepped towards her. "What's wrong?"

Alana turned to look at Shaak Ti, choking down her sobs. She could see her trying to come closer, but Alana stepped back.

"Stay away," she said. "Just stay away from me."

With that, she turned and raced towards a transport ship and jumped on. She picked a seat in the back and pulled her legs in tight and wrapping her robe around her to conceal her identity.

She got off at the first stop, and found herself wandering into the Senate building. Alana got lost inside, her mind wandering and entering into a state of panic. She found a little closet and hid inside, crying loudly, when suddenly a voice came to her.

"What are you doing here, child?"

Alana looked up and through her tears she saw a man, concealed in a deep red and black outfit. When they looked at each other, Alana felt a shivering cold run through her bones.

"I-I-"

"You're a Jedi Padawan, come, let's get you back to the Temple," he said, offering his hand out for her to take.

"No!" Alana's voice burst out, more loudly than she had expected. "Please, no. I don't belong there anymore."

"I see," the man said, sitting down beside her. He seemed to study her for a moment before speaking again. "What is your name?"

"Alana Skywalker," she replied.

"You're scared, aren't you, Alana? And angry?"

"They- they left m-me," Alana whimpered, looking down at her hands. Even though she was fifteen, she felt like a small child, lost and abandoned by those she respected and cared for the most.

"Why don't you let me help you?" The man said. 

"But how? How can you help me?" Alana asked, angrily wiping the tears off her face. 

"I can give you a place to stay. You can continue to train."

"If the Jedi have abandoned me, then how am I supposed to train?"

"It is not just the Jedi who know the ways of the Force. You can become powerful beyond any Jedi's comprehension. You can show them that they were wrong for expelling you," he said, patting her back.

"You- you're a Sith!" Alana said, jumping up and stepping away from him. "You-you're evil!"

"Is that what they've been telling you? They fear the Sith because of the power that we have the knowledge that we have. That was why you were expelled, wasn't it?" The man remained sitting on the floor while Alana was hesitating in front of him, her hand on her lightsaber. "You were expelled you because they were afraid of how curious you were."

"I never looked at those texts," Alana balked. "You're wrong! The Council is wrong!"

"But you did, didn't you. You lied to the Council, and they could sense that," the man said, watching Alana pace. "Tell me, Alana, why did you lie to them?"

"I-I," she hesitated. The man in front of her was right. She had lied to the Council about what she had been looking in to. She had lied because she knew that they frowned upon it. But all they had ever seemed to give her was time in the archives. She had nearly read every data chip in the entirety of the archives, and she had begun to search for more knowledge. That was what had led her to seek out the Sith texts. When the Council had found out, she had been terrified of their retribution so she had lied to them.

"I thought that if they found out, they would get rid of me."

"And they did," The man replied. "And for what? Because you wanted more knowledge? Because you wanted to learn more?"

Alana could feel herself beginning to get angry. The man was right. All she had wanted was to explore everything there was about the Force. About the perfect balance. If they didn't want anyone to learn about the Sith, then why would they have the materials to learn the ways of the dark side.

"They abandoned me because I knew too much," Alana whispered. "What else could they be hiding from the world?" She looked over at the man, who was beginning to stand, a smile on his face. "They can't just do that!"

He offered her his hand.

"Let me help you, Alana," he said. "Help me help you. We will show them that they're wrong. Take my hand."

Alana hesitated for a moment, before reaching her hand out and taking his. He protectively put his robe around her.

"I will make sure you know all things with the Force, my child," he said. "You will be my new apprentice, and I will guide you in your path."

As they began to walk out of the building, Alana looked up at the man who was to be her new Master. She realized that she needed to know what to call him.

"What's your name, Master?" Alana asked.

"My name is Darth Tyranus."

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Alana's eyes flew open, gasping for air, reaching for her lightsaber and igniting it, only to see she was alone, back on the Republic cruiser in the storage room. She frantically looked around the room while she struggled to stand from the floor.

"No," she gasped, before dropping her lightsaber and clutching her head. The room had returned to a normal temperature and the hum of the ship had taken over the silence. It was a disaster, with things flung everywhere, the battle between Alana and the Sith evident.

She knelt back down on the ground, her head spinning with the dream. The memory, the dream, it had been so real, and it was like it had really happened.

"That never-" she trailed off as she began to search her memories for what she had done after she had left the Jedi Order as a Padawan.

She remembered finding her mother and her baby brother, but that had been when she was sixteen. The more she thought, the less she seemed to have concrete memories of her time between leaving Coruscant and arriving on Tatooine.

Then her mind went to Geonosis when she had seen Count Dooku while she had been locked up. He had given her no sign of recognition. In fact, the moment he had seen her, he seemed to want to turn back and disappear.

"It cannot be. He is a Sith," Alana said. "Planting memories in my mind."

She was shaken and exhausted from what had happened, so she stood, planning to retreat back to the safety of her room. However, as soon as she stepped into the hallway, alarms began to ring. They were battle alarms.

Alana clenched her jaw and raced towards the elevator as suddenly the ship banked, nearly sending her flying into the wall. She held on tight as she managed to step inside the elevator. It shut behind her, and she went up to the bridge to see what was going on as the ship corrected itself and returned to a stable position.

When she arrived on the bridge, she called to the Admiral, who had planted himself in the middle of the room.

"What's going on?" She demanded, when suddenly she noticed a huge blockade around the planet of Mon Cala, with a handful of fighters heading directly towards it. "I thought we weren't due to arrive for another few days?"

The Admiral seemed to ignore her, busy shouting orders. Alana grabbed one of the troopers who was racing by her and stopped him in his tracks.

"Trooper, what's going on?"

"We received a distress call from Mon Cala last night and sped up our course," he glanced past Alana, clearly on an urgent mission. "Sorry sir, I have to-"

"Go!" Alana said. She made her way over to where the Admiral stood, giving orders to fire once they were in range of the enemy ships. The fighters had already engaged with the Separatist ships, but there were vulture droids taking off to engage with them.

"I'm going out there, Admiral. Contact the Temple, tell them we've been engaged at Mon Cala. And tell them to send reinforcements!"

"Yes, General," the Admiral said, motioning for one of the clone commanders to send out a signal.

Alana turned and raced towards the elevator just as the doors were opening to reveal Sylvan. She was about to step onto the bridge when Alana pushed her back in and the elevator closed behind them and sped towards the hangar.

"Master!" Sylvan cried out, taken slightly by surprise. "What's going on?"

"We've reached Mon Cala. There's a Separatist blockade ahead, and fighters inbound. You and I are going out to get rid of them," Alana noted that her Padawan has her armor on. "Call Bash, tell him to have a squad ready to go."

"Yes, Master."

Sylvan radioed, and the Commander had already made sure to have their ships prepared and a squadron of fighters on standby.

As soon as the elevator doors opened, Alana and Sylvan raced towards empty two fighter jets, each taking their own.

"Be careful, Sylvan," Alana called as she put on her headset and jumped into the cockpit.

"I always am," Sylvan responded.

Alana shook her head and looked at the cockpit for a second, checking all of the controls when she noticed that there was a little R3 unit attached to her fighter as her copilot.

"Hello there, little one," Alana said, beginning to prep the engines. "Are you ready for the fight?"

The R3 unit beeped at her excitedly and the engines started, with Alana noting the squadron of men that were prepping their engines alongside her and Sylvan.

"Alright, men, let's get out there and join the others," Alana said, taking off in her fighter, racing out of the hangar and out into space. A little ways ahead of them, she could see explosions and blaster shots coming from the different ships.

"Alright, fighters, fall in behind me in attack formation, and call in," Alana instructed into her communications device. She could just barely hear the crackling of the other men as they called in.

"Go for Green Leader," a clone voice sounded.

"Green Two, standing by."

"Green Five, standing by."

The clones all radioed in, with 10 men in all joining Sylvan and Alana as they charged into the fight. Alana calculated that they would arrive in twenty seconds. Suddenly, a group of vulture broke off from the fight and were heading straight towards them, blasters blazing.

"Troopers, take evasive action!" Alana shouted, immediately pushing her fighter underneath the group of vulture droids. She sent her fighter into a spin, aiming to double back to face the fighters head-on, she was heading straight towards them when she realized her weapons were offline.

"Uh, R3, why are my blasters offline?" Alana shouted. The droid beeped back at her indignantly. "Well, I'm sorry, I've never flown this type of fighter before! I didn't realize it was something that needed to be prepped! Now get them online. Now!" 

She began to breathe hard, realizing that they were about to reach the blast zone, and the droid ships would start firing.

"R3!" Alana said when suddenly, the weapons powered up, and she was able to lock onto a droid ship and blast it out of the sky. She noted that all around her, the clones were blasting the vulture droids out of the sky. "Nice work, R3!"

Suddenly, she noticed that the droid ships were sending out dozens of more vulture droids.

"You've got to be kidding me," Alana hissed. "We're never going to get past this blockade."

Suddenly, she heard a shout from one of the clones and watched as a ship in her squadron blew up beside her. She dove out of the way, realizing that now there were two vultures on her tail. She began to sequence herself through evasive actions, but they were too close.

"I've got two bogeys on me and I can't shake them!"

"I see you, Master!" Sylvan's voice came over the coms. "Just hold on for one-"

Suddenly, the beeping that was signaling Alana's impending death stopped, and she heard two explosions behind her. She looked out the back of her cockpit and smiled as she realized that they were gone.

Suddenly, she heard a familiar voice come over the com.

"Master Yoda said you needed a little help," it was Kit Fisto. Alana looked back to see not one, not two, but eighteen assault ships. She nearly gasped at the large size of the men. "The Admiral said the droids have launched a full-scale ground assault on the people below. I'm going to take a crew down below and take care of the droids."

"Sounds good!" Alana said, going after another vulture droid and shooting it out of the sky. "But make sure to leave me some ships!"

"They're all yours, Master Skywalker," Kit replied. Alana watched as two of the Republic assault ships began to make a decent onto the surface. The rest began to offload hundreds of fighters, all heading for the giant blockade.

"Cover those Republic cruisers!" Alana ordered. "Things are just getting interesting."


	26. The First Battle of Mon Cala

Even with the immense new firepower, Alana noticed that the fighters were still being blown to shreds. The Separatists had received reinforcements and were coming at the cruisers from the rear. The fighters had lost the support from the cruisers, who were now being engaged on two fronts.

"We've got to get rid of those droid control ships," Alana said to herself, moving her ship away from the battle to examine any possible strategies.

That's when she noticed it. One of the droid ships was opening every few moments and dropping their shields to send more troops to the ground. If they could disable it, a third of the vulture droids and their respective droid controls would go down.

"Fighters, we have to take down that control ship!" Alana said, beginning to speed towards it.

"Sir, you'll never be able to take it out, the shields are up!" Alana could hear one of the clones say to her.

"Every thirty seconds, the doors open and the shields go down. If we can take that out, we'll be better prepared," Alana said, counting down until the shields would go back down.

Suddenly, as she was making straight for the ship, she heard Sylvan's voice crackle into her headset.

"I can't shake them!"

Alana looked out her window to see Sylvan's ship being followed by half a dozen vulture droids, all targeting her systems. Alana clenched her jaw and turned back to the droid ship. She had to choose between saving her apprentice and taking out the droid ship. There was no debate. 

Alana pulled back from her attack and raced towards Sylvan.

"Hold on!" Alana said, using two of her homing missiles and sending them towards the vulture droids. She flew right through the explosion, using her blasters to fire at another disgruntled droid ship.

Suddenly, she watched as Sylvan's ship turned off and the vulture droids had to veer away to avoid her. Alana whirled out of the way and glanced back over her shoulder at her Padawan. She took down the remaining three before turning back and heading towards Sylvan's ship just as it turned back on.

"Sylvan! Are you alright?" Alana called.

"I'm fine, Master. I was just tired of having those stupid droids on my tail," Sylvan replied.

"You're welcome, my young Padawan," Alana said. "Come on, this fight isn't over yet."

"I can't, Master. My ship is severely damaged. They took out my blasters. I'll need to get into a new ship first," Sylvan admitted.

"Then go," Alana said. "And hurry back. We have quite a few more droid fighters to dispose of," Alana veered her ship away from her apprentice and headed back into battle.

But before Sylvan could head back towards the ships, suddenly a giant blast rattled from the cruiser that had been accompanying Admiral Ivanov's cruiser. Alana watched in shock as the cruiser crumbled apart, leaving only two cruisers left standing. She could feel a disturbance in the Force as thousands of men went down with the ship. It made her shudder, and she shook her head.

"No," she gasped, watching as a group of vulture droids was heading for one of Master Fisto's cruisers. She turned back to the fight, more determined than ever. If they could take down the Separatist's main ship, the vulture droids would be left completely defenseless against the Republic fighters.

She could see ahead of her that most of the clone squads were flying in formation, and she made her way towards them, recalling the green squadron. They joined her in a forward assault, and she shouted orders to commence their dive attack on the droid command ship.

The turret guns were firing on them heavily, so the group was forced to break off their attack.

"We're taking too much fire, General," Alana could hear one of the clones say to her when suddenly she heard an explosion. Another Republic fighter had blown up.

"Fall back," Alana said. "I can do this myself."

"But, General, sir, it's too risky! You'll be going in unprotected!" She could tell it was Commander Bash shouting at her through the coms.

"I'll use the ground ships as cover from the turret fire. Just watch my back!" Alana said back into her comms before beginning to dive back at the droid command ship, this time from behind.

She counted the seconds as the shields raised and lowered, sending more troops to the ground, and finally, just as she was about to hit the shields, they lowered, allowing her to enter the proximity of the ship and take out a handful of the guns, and headed straight for the command tower. Suddenly, she sensed something behind her. She knew that there were ships coming straight for her, and she had no choice.

Alana whirled out of the way of the fire and headed straight for the open hangar door. They wouldn't fire on her in their own ship. Unfortunately, as she got closer and closer, she realized that it was ray shielded.

"General, what are you doing?"

"My job," Alana fired back, taking out the ray shields and sliding into the hangar just as the secondary door slammed shut behind her.

Suddenly, her coms cut out, and she was cut off from the rest of the Republic fleet. Alana looked around from her spot on the cockpit, and that's when she saw dozens of droids headed her way.

"R3, be prepared for a fast getaway," Alana said to her droid as she began to fire at the droids. She could hear R3 squealing at her. "I know there's nowhere to go. We'll just have to figure that out!" She replied after finishing off the droids in front of her. They seemed to be alone for the time being. Alana locked her fighter down, ensuring that it would remain put if the secondary shield failed.

"You're going to have to help me, R3," Alana said, beginning to get herself out of the cockpit. "Come on, we have to take out this ship."

She jumped out of her fighter and made her way towards one of the droid inputs. She turned back to see R3 struggling to get out of the ship.

"Let's go, R3! We don't have all day!"

The droid paused for a second and looked at her before beeping at her.

"No, I don't have a plan," Alana said, racing back over and helping him out of his place on her fighter. He beeped again as they quickly went back to the input. "Well, that's rude. Just, could you PLEASE find the engine room for me. We have to find a way to destroy this ship from the inside out, even if that means taking us along with it."

One R3 located the engine room, the two of them raced out of the hangar and down the hallways, trying to be as discreet as possible. They managed to make it around the corridor; however, their presence was soon discovered. Alana had just rounded the corner, following R3, just as another droid patrol was also rounding the other corner heading towards them.

"Hey! Who's that?" One of the droid's annoying mechanical voices spoke, pointing at her. "An intruder!"

"Uh, hello!" Alana said, ducking into cover behind a wall. "R3, please tell me there's another way to the engine room?" The little droid beeped up at her. "What do you mean you don't know the schematics of the ship? Didn't you just look at them?"

The droid then turned and went back in the direction they had just come from. Alana peered back at the corridor, where the droids were now heading her way. They saw her and fired a few more shots just as she ducked out of the way again.

Alana turned just in time to see R3 rounding a corner and vanishing out of sight. She groaned and raced after him. Letting this droid get caught was not something she particularly was excited about.

"Where are you going?" She demanded as she caught up with the droid. He suddenly stopped in front of her, causing her to almost run into him. He turned and moved towards the wall, plugging into another input while explaining to her what he was doing.

Alana raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms over her chest.

"You mean to tell me that this whole time we have NOT been going towards the engine room? We've been coming here?"

He beeped and swirled around to look at her.

"And you couldn't have deactivated the ship's defense system in the hangar? You had to come to this one?" She sighed and let out a chuckle This little droid was really beginning to grow on her, he reminded her of Padme's little R2 unit that she had met on Tatooine all those years ago. Suddenly, she looked up to see shadows coming down the hall towards them, the rolling of droidekas coming towards them quickly.

"Hurry, R3," Alana said, igniting her lightsaber. "We've got to go!"

Suddenly the droidekas arrived and began to fire on them. Alana placed herself in front of the R3 unit and began to deflect the blasts with her lightsaber. She looked back just as R3 was pulling out of the input station, and they raced off, Alana barely able to deflect a few bullets from hitting R3.

They managed to lose the droidekas in the hallway as they quickly made their way back to the hangar. Alana could already feel the explosions from the Republic's attack blasting through the droid command ship. She picked up the pace, moving swiftly towards the fighter.

When they arrived, they hid behind a few pillars. When Alana spotted the fighter, she clenched her jaw. It was completely surrounded by droids. They would have to fight their way to it.

Before she could go ahead towards the fighter, she suddenly felt another disturbance in the Force. She could tell that another cruiser had been destroyed, and it sent her to her knees. Alana gasped for air, trying desperately to remain quiet.

She heard R3 whining beside her, trying to see if she was alright. Alana nodded and brought herself back up to stand, trying to push the loss to the back of her mind.

"Let's get the hell off this ship, R3. Come on, stay behind me," Alana instructed to the droid. He seemed to ignore her and turned, moving towards one of the droid inputs. "Uh, do you ever listen?" Alana sighed. She turned back to the droids and ignited her lightsaber. She raced out into the open hangar and sliced down three droids swiftly before they could even begin to fire at her.

She dodged and deflected, managing to cut down some more before using the Force to send them flying to the ground, opening up a direct line to the cockpit. She would be able to get in, but the droid would be stuck.

Suddenly she heard R3 beep at her to grab onto something. Alana raced towards the ship, deflecting a few blasts and jumped up into the cockpit, landing inside, and not a moment too soon, as the secondary door flew open, causing all of the droids to go be sucked out into space.

Alana managed to get the cockpit sealed so that she could breathe. That's when she noticed that R3 was detached from the input unit and was flying out into space, unable to get a good grip onto the ground.

"No!" Alana shouted, starting up the engines of the fighter and racing out of the hangar. She managed to make it out just as there was another set of explosions.

Alana realized her coms were back on, and she ordered all fighters to fire on the command ship. She wanted to turn back and assist them in taking out the ship, but she was worried about losing R3, so she raced after him, slowing down as she neared where he was floating in space.

"Hello there, little guy," Alana said, reaching her hand out and closing her eyes, grabbing him with the Force and pulling him towards the ship slowly. She could hear him beeping excitedly at her as she placed him back into the co-pilot position on her fighter. As soon as he was safely back on her fighter, she let go of him as he latched himself in, beeping at her.

Alana then turned back to the fight only to realize the mass destruction in front of her.

The only thing left of their Republic force was one burning cruiser, and the droid command ship was veering towards the surface, explosions covering the entire thing as the Republic fighters swung by and bombed it. A few droid ships were making an escape, too far away for anything to be done, and she watched as they jumped into hyperspace, leaving only a handful of burning ships and the Republic cruiser behind.

Alana let out her breath, realizing that she had been holding it in. She shuddered at the sight in front of her. There was so much destruction. So many dead men, so much war. Even in space, when everything was so far away, it hurt her deeply. She sighed as she began to hear men cheering through the coms. They had won the fight. She wanted to celebrate with them, but the battle had cost them too much.

R3's beeping brought her back to life, and Alana sighed.

"You're right, R3, let's get back to the cruiser. We need to see how Master Fisto is doing."

When Alana arrived back on the ship, she got out of her fighter and stood beside it, watching as a handful of pilots landed beside her. Where once there had been 10 fighters beside herself and Sylvan, their numbers had been cut to 3.

Alana watched as other ships boarded, ones that didn't belong on their cruiser. The other support cruisers had been blown up, leaving just Alana's central command ship afloat. Their fleet was heavily damaged, and she wasn't sure how much support they'd be able to provide Master Fisto, even with the blockade of Mon Cala gone.

She watched as the clones got out, but instead of celebrating, they hugged each other, just happy they had survived. They mourned the losses of their brothers.

"General," one of the men said to her. "I'm glad you made it through. If you hadn't been able to take that command ship out, none of us would be here."

"It really wasn't me," Alana said, looking back at R3, who was spinning around happily beside her fighter. She turned back to the trooper and gave him a small smile. "Go, get yourself looked at," she replied, noticing a burn on his right arm.

She watched as the hangar began to slowly come back to life, with the men landing. She turned away from the men and made her way to the elevator, wanting to check on the progress down on the planet. She found herself joined by Commander Bash and Sylvan as they went to check in with the Admiral.

Alana arrived on deck as Admiral Ivanov was calling down to the planet. She made her way over to the communications board just as a hologram of Master Fisto popped up.

"Master Fisto, how's it going down there?" Alana asked.

"Not very well, I'm afraid. The Quarren and the droids have a tight grip on the planet, but I have just recently captured a handful of them. Hopefully, they will respond to interrogation. How is it up there?"

Before Alana could respond, the Admiral spoke up.

"The blockade has been destroyed, but so has most of our fleet. We're returning to Kamino effective immediately."

Alana turned to him and frowned. That was the first she had heard of it.

"Excuse me, Admiral, but we need to remain here until we can ensure the safety of the Mon Calamari and the rest of our fleet," Alana said, issuing her warning.

"No, General, this is my ship, and I refuse to stay here. If we do stay and more ships come in, we will be completely defenseless."

"What about Master F-"

"Master Skywalker," Master Fisto spoke up, bringing Alana's attention back to himself on the hologram. "While I appreciate the sentiment to remain here, it's clear to me that it will do us no good. I'll send for reinforcements myself. Get back to Kamino. I can handle things from here."

Alana clenched her jaw. She wanted to stay and fight. They had arrived first, and she was determined to help as much as she could, but with two voices telling her otherwise, she had no choice but to back down.

"Yes, Master," Alana said, feeling chided for her behavior. "May the Force be with you."

They bowed to each other and the hologram disappeared, signifying that the communication was finished. With that, the Admiral turned to Alana, a furious look on his face.

"Stay here?" He exclaimed loudly, his accent adding to the roughness of his voice. The booming rang around the bridge, gaining looks from all the troopers. "Need I remind you, General, that this is MY ship, and my orders are final!?"

"No, Admiral, you don't," Alana snapped back. She rubbed her temple as she began to feel herself losing composure. "But next time, we're staying. Leaving them alone and defenseless against enemy attacks is a coward's way out."

"What you are suggesting is a suicide mission. The next time this does happen, I might very well let you go on it. You're not thinking, and my men and my ship are better off without you," the Admiral retorted before turning away from where Alana stood, stunned, feeling her anger bubbling up in her. That's when she realized all the clones had stopped and had been staring at the unprofessional interaction between their two leaders. 

Her mind flashed back to the memory of her as a Sith, the sensation of anger had filled the whole room, and she shook her head. The way she had just acted scared her. It was reactions like that that could make the dream a reality.

Alana took a deep breath and turned away from where the Admiral was ordering them all back to work. She could see Commander Bash and Sylvan standing off to the side, both staring in rage at the Admiral. She stalked over to where they stood by the elevator.

"I'd like to punch him," Sylvan declared as the three of them stepped back into the elevators.

"I've never liked him much," Commander Bash added.

Alana sighed and shook her head.

"I shouldn't have lost my composure like that," she admitted as they made their way down to the hanger. "Losing all those men has gotten to me more than I should have liked. As much as I hate admitting it, the Admiral is right. We're of no use to the ground forces here."

As the doors opened out to the hangar, Alana paused for a second to try and settle herself. She could sense Sylvan and Bash's hesitation behind her, waiting for Alana to step out first.

"Well, let's go then," Alana said. "We've got lots of work to do before we arrive on Kamino."


	27. Return to Kamino

Much of the return back to Kamino was filled with putting out fires and making sure that they arrived back alive, and not all burnt to a crisp. It was a few days' journey, and neither Alana nor Sylvan had a wink of sleep during the whole journey. 

Alana quickly went to work, helping as quickly as she could, with Sylvan by her side, even though they both were worn down physically and mentally from the fight and from the lack of sleep. The day before they were due to arrive back on Kamino, they were busy in the hangar when one of the captains that Alana didn't recognize came running up to her.

"Captain Pol, sir," he announced himself.

Alana set down the equipment that she was lifting and she turned to the Captain.

"What is it, Captain?" Alana asked.

"Some of my men were in the engine room, and a part of the ceiling caved in, pinning them down below. It's too heavy for us to lift. We need your help," he said.

Alana could feel the exhaustion seeping into her bones. She hadn't even slept since the previous night, but she steeled herself and turned to see Sylvan putting down some equipment behind her.

"Sylvan, come with me," Alana called to her before turning back to the Captain. "Show me the way."

They raced down to the engine room, and Alana gritted her teeth as she entered. She could see a handful of men pinned down underneath a large metal beam, struggling and calling out in pain. Upon seeing the general, a few of the medics who were trying to ease the mens' pain stepped away from the men pinned below.

Alana stopped, and she sensed Sylvan stop beside her.

"I will not be able to do this on my own. Too much of my strength has been drained," Alana said, quietly, looking over at Sylvan. "Close your eyes, concentrate on the beam, feel the energy, feel it all around you, and we will lift it together and set it down out of the way of the men."

"Yes Master," Sylvan said, turning to the beam and closing her eyes. The two of them reached their hands out, feeling and searching the beam, grabbing tightly onto it and using all of their strength to pull it up.

Alana could feel Sylvan's presence beside her. They both were tired, the battle, the hours awake, and the losses taking its toll on both of them. Alana clenched her jaw and used the last bit of her strength to pull the beam up and over to the side of the room, just out of the way of the men. The two of them could feel each other's presence dwindling down as their energy was depleted, and the beam came crashing to the ground.

The two Jedi collapsed to the ground, with Alana's eyes opening as she caught her apprentice in her arms. Sylvan was weak and completely drained of energy, so weak that she had passed out completely, but Alana knew she would be alright with a few hours of rest. Alana watched as the Captain knelt beside them, calling over a medic and trying to help Alana.

"No, no," Alana said weakly, setting Sylvan down gently on the ground. "I'm alright. See to her."

Alana stood and stumbled out of the room, leaving the chaos behind her. She made her way down the hallway and found herself in the part of the clone quarters that had been undamaged. She was too far from her own room, so she collapsed into one of the bunks and shut her eyes, letting sleep take her.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Uh, you think we should wake her up?"

"She's a Jedi, I don't really want to try and wake her up. Who knows, maybe she'll just come out of it herself."

Alana's eyes flickered open to see two clones standing near her bunk, talking to each other. Alana sat up, causing them to jump to attention.

"General, sir," they said unanimously.

"You know, I don't bite," Alana said, standing and stretching from where she had fallen asleep. She was feeling much better, as the rest had done her very well. She noted the two of them exchanging glances, still standing at attention. They seemed to realize it at the same time and they relaxed, nodding at the General.

"What are your names, troopers?" Alana asked.

"Waxer and Boil, sir, of the 501st," they replied.

Alana looked at them in confusion. The 501st was not part of her assignment. It was familiar, but she was too groggy to put her finger on it. She shook her head. They must have arrived back on Kamino.

"And I can assume that we've arrived back on Kamino, then?"

"Yes, sir," they replied.

"Well, Waxer and Boil, why don't you lead the way to get off this blasted ship?"

The two of them nodded and the group left the room, heading for the off-ramp in order to disembark. When they arrived at the ramp, the two troopers excused themselves to go to work, with Alana making her way towards where she had spotted the Admiral supervising the off-load.

"Admiral," Alana called to him. He looked up and nodded when he saw her. When she arrived by his side, she looked up and decided to speak. "About earlier-"

"It's alright," the Admiral said, managing to sound incredibly gruff but kind at the same time. "We were both running on high energy. I should not have called you out in front of my men."

"And I should have been more willing to listen to you and the ship's needs," Alana added, watching as a handful of troopers were racing onto the ship to help troopers from the medical units. "I can only hope when we get back into space that we can find a more common ground of communication."

"Likewise," the Admiral responded.

Alana then noticed Sylvan being helped down the ramp.

"If you'll excuse me, Admiral, I need to check on my Padawan," Alana said before making her way quickly to Sylvan's side. Sylvan was being helped down by a captain that Alana noted as part of the 501st. She frowned in confusion, still trying to put her finger on who was in charge of the 501st.

"Master!" Sylvan said, causing the two of them to stop. The captain nodded to Alana out of respect. "I've been looking all over for you. You weren't answering my communication calls."

Alana looked down to see that her comlink was muted. She must have accidentally muted it in her sleep. Alana quickly unmuted it before looking back up at her Padawan.

"Well, here I am, Sylvan. How are you? What happened?"

"I managed to twist my ankle badly when I fell. The medical droids were too busy helping the more seriously injured to fix it, so I'm being taken to the medical bay to get it looked at. Captain Rex here is helping me walk."

"Captain Rex," Alana said thoughtfully, the name was familiar. She looked the clone up and down, noting the short blonde hair before realizing who it was. "Obi-Wan has mentioned your name. You serve as part of the 501st, isn't that right?"

"Yes, General. I'm the Captain of the Torrent Company," he replied. "I serve under General Skywalker. We're usually with General Kenobi."

"So I've heard. Well, it will be good to see them," Alana said, finally remembering that the 501st was under Obi-Wan's direction. "It's been a month since we've last seen one another," she turned to Sylvan. "Go get looked at, then come find me later. I'll be meeting with the other Generals."

"Yes, Master," Sylvan said as she and Captain Rex turned to go.

"Oh, and Captain Rex, please make sure she doesn't do anything stupid," Alana called after them.

"I've prevented that a few times already, General," Captain Rex replied, earning him a playful smack to the ribcage by Sylvan as they made their way down the ramp.

Alana rolled her eyes and went down in the other direction, finding herself being greeted by a few Kaminoans. She was about to start talking with them when out of the corner of her eye, she spotted none other than Obi-Wan entering the hangar where the ship was. His hair was shorter, and he sported a fuller beard, causing Alana to smile as she looked at his handsome face. She then noted that he was accompanied by Anakin, who sported a new scar along the right side of his face. It must have been from his time in battle.

Almost sensing her presence, Obi-Wan's eyes met hers, and Alana excused herself from the Kaminoans and made her way quickly towards them. As they neared, Alana took a deep breath, trying to compose herself in front of her brother and the hundreds of clones milling about the hangar. She stopped and bowed to both of them, a giant smile taking over her face.

"It's good to see you," she said, looking at Obi-Wan, who had managed to plaster a completely neutral and reserved look on his face, despite being reunited with his wife. Alana then looked to her brother, who only offered his sister a nod. Alana pursed her lips at his behavior, still sensing the tension in the air between them.

"It's good to see you too, Alana," Obi-Wan said gently, drawing her attention back to him.

Alana nodded at him.

"When did you arrive on Kamino?" Alana asked them.

"A few days ago. We're stationed here until the Council tells us otherwise," Obi-Wan said.

"And who knows when that will be," Anakin added, shaking his head and running his hand through his hair. He had changed since Alana had last seen him. Even though he had been angry, be seemed much more driven and focused, even if she could tell that he wasn't at peace inside.

"I don't like just sitting around here and doing nothing," Anakin sighed.

"Neither do I," Alana said, trying to find some way to comfort her brother, but he wasn't having it.

"I'm going to see if the troopers need any help," he said, turning and marching away, his head held high.

Alana watched as he walked away, frowning at her brother.

"What is it, my darling?" Obi-Wan asked quietly, moving in a little closer to her.

"It's Anakin," Alana replied, crossing her arms across her chest. "He's been so off, and I can't even find time to speak with him about what has happened. He didn't want to talk then, and now with the war, I don't know how to bring the subject with him," she shook her head and turned to Obi-Wan. "What I do know is that if he continues to be angry with me, it will fester in his heart forever."

"Give him some space," Obi-Wan said gently. "His mind and heart are too focused on this war. In time, I'm sure you can bring up the subject to him," he studied Alana for another moment before placing his hand on her arm gently. "But that's not it. Something else is bothering you."

Alana's mind flashed to the memory she had had with Count Dooku. She shuddered at the thought before bringing herself back to see Obi-Wan's eyes watching her closely. She shrugged off his hand, and plaster the best fake smile she could on her face.

"It's nothing," she said. "Just a bad dream."

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

"No," Alana shook her head. "No, not now. It was nothing," she paused for a moment, trying to focus on more positive things.

"Let's go to the meeting room, there are a few other Jedi here on Kamino. Shaak Ti is here supervising the training and upbringing of the clones."

"Oh, that's good," Alana said, smiling up at Obi-Wan. They walked for a little way, Alana marveling at the bright, pristine white of the Kaminoan cloners' city. She then remembered noticing Anakin's scar, and she turned to Obi-Wan. "What I would like to know is how in the world Anakin got that scar he was sporting."

"He fought Count Dooku's new apprentice, Asajj Ventress," Obi-Wan said, looking down at her. "She's- interesting to say the least. I only hope that she had died so that her hatred could not be spread to other planets, but I do not think that to be true."

"Count Dooku has an apprentice?" Alana asked.

"He apparently had one before her, but no one, not even the Council knows what happened to the apprentice nor who it was," Obi-Wan shook his head. Alana's face paled drastically at his words. He did not seem to notice as they continued to walk towards the meeting room.

"That's interesting," Alana said. "I suppose one day I will meet this Asajj in person."

"One can only hope you won't," Obi-Wan replied. "Not that you're not capable, my darling, but I do worry."

Alana raised an eyebrow and looked up at Obi-Wan, who did not notice the surprised look on her face.

"I did not peg you as a worrier, Obi," Alana said. Obi-Wan looked down to see a slight smirk on her face as they rounded the corner, only a few steps away from the meeting room.

"As your husband, I have every right to care about your well-being, my love," Obi-Wan whispered just before stepping into the room. Alana wanted to retort something, but she restrained herself and followed him in.

When they entered the room, they were greeted by the sight of Shaak Ti standing in front of a hologram table, where the members of the Jedi Council were all sitting in their seats in the Council room back on Coruscant. The light blue glow struck Alana, as they moved up to the table beside Shaak Ti.

"Good, I'm glad you two could join us," Shaak Ti said, giving Alana a smile and speaking quickly to her. "It's good to see you, Alana."

"Likewise," Alana replied. She noted that Master Fisto was missing from the hologram in front of her and she frowned slightly. He must have still been busy back on Mon Cala.

"How is the situation on Mon Cala?" Alana asked. She had not been in contact with the Council of Master Fisto since they departed some days ago.

"Master Fisto has been reinforced, and the planet is now back in the control of the Mon Calamari. Unfortunately, their communications since the battle have been spotty, but they're alright," Master Windu said, catching Alana up to speed.

"Thank you, Master," Alana replied. "What else has happened?"

"The Council has just been discussing the situation in the galaxy," Master Plo said. "As of right now, the Separatists have been relatively quiet, but we believe that they will be mounting a strike somewhere soon."

"I see," Obi-Wan said. "Do we have any clue as to when or where?"

"Not right now," Master Mundi said. "But we are working on getting as much information as possible through our allies throughout the galaxy."

"Is there anything we can do here on Kamino?" Alana asked. "Unfortunately, my men and my part of the fleet was heavily damaged in battle, and I don't think we'll be able to render any support elsewhere for the time being."

"Yes, Admiral Ivanov informed the Republic and the Council of the damage," Master Windu said. "For those of you on Kamino, remain where you are and continue the clone training as usual."

"On high alert, you must be, if to know this Separatist plot, we are," Master Yoda spoke up. "Meditate on this, I will."

"Yes, Master," Obi-Wan said.

"Unfortunately, until we know more, there is little that we can do until Dooku makes his next move," Master Windu said. "Until tomorrow, the Council is dismissed."

"May the Force be with us all," Shaak Ti said before the hologram disappeared, and she sighed. She turned away from the board and looked to Alana. "Welcome to Kamino, Alana. I know you've been here before, but it's good that you're back."

"The Council could not have picked a better person to oversee the training of the clones, Ti," Alana said, smiling at her friend. "Is there anything we can do right now?"

"No, no, it's nearing nighttime here. The clones should just be wrapping up their training for the day. There is lodging for us all if you'd like me to show you to it?"

"Actually, I would like to get a few things from the ship if possible," Alana said.

"I can show her to her place," Obi-Wan said. "I know you are busy during this time, especially with the new influx of clones. I'd be glad to show her to her quarters."

"Thank you, Obi-Wan," Shaak Ti said. "I'll see you both in the morning, then."

Alana watched as Shaak left the room, heading to get the rest of the clones settled in. Obi-Wan turned and gave Alana a smirk.

"Come with me," he said, making his way out of the room and heading off in the opposite direction of Shaak Ti.

Alana followed after him, finally catching up to him when he stopped in front of a white door and accessed it with his fingerprint. Alana looked at him in confusion as the door swung open. Immediately she was hit with a familiar sight as they stepped inside. It was the room where Alana had first kissed him.

"I had them turn it into my room when I arrived back on Kamino. It had been empty, and I wanted to be reminded of you," Obi-Wan said as Alana made her way into the room. It was actually quite large, just as she remembered it, with a living area and the bedroom towards the back.

"Where am I supposed to stay?" Alana asked, turning back to Obi-Wan.

"You're supposed to be in the room next to mine, and Shaak Ti, Sylvan, and Anakin are down the hallway," Obi-Wan said, shutting the door behind them.

"I suppose I should go get my things and put them there," Alana said, looking back out of the window at the gloomy surface of Kamino as the rain was pouring down, just like the last time she had been there.

"It can wait," Obi-Wan whispered, his arms coming around Alana's waist and pulling her around, so her head rested on his chest. "I want to be near you," he mumbled into her hair, taking in her scent, the way she looked, the way she sounded.

Alana didn't know what to say, so she just relished in being held by him, her body pressed tightly up against his. She finally pulled back so that she could kiss him. Their time of being together after Geonosis had been short. Too short.

"I missed you," Obi-Wan said, pressing his forehead against hers, his lips brushing against hers lightly.

"Our hologram conversations are too short," Alana admitted.

"And not always reliable," Obi-Wan replied. "I tried transmitting a signal each day for the past few days, but you weren't responding. Ever since the transmission went out, I was worried-"

"Again, my love, you worry too much," Alana said, shaking her head. She paused for a moment before meeting his eyes. "But you're right. We got busy, with the battle and the heavy damage to the ship even I was working around the clock so that the ship would make it back here."

"I only worry as much as I need to," Obi-Wan said. "Besides, I know you can take care of yourself," he said, brushing Alana's hair back from her face.

She reached up and touched his beard, and bit her lip.

"How have things been? You've been busy, I know."

"I'm not a fan of this war," Obi-Wan replied, taking her hand in his. "However, I know I must do my duty, no matter what I think of it," he shook his head, trying to rid himself of the unpleasant memories of war from the past few weeks. "I'm glad to have you here with me now."

"Me too," Alana replied, squeezing his hand. She could still sense the unease in his mind as his eyes drifted from her face, deep in thought. "Obi-Wan," she said, calling his attention back to her. "Let's make the most of these moments while they last. Come to bed with me, please."

Obi-Wan looked his wife up and down, finding himself calming in her presence and he let her lead him to the bedroom, the sensation of being close to her filling him up entirely as they rekindled their love for each other.


	28. A Separatist Plot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (AN: Hey everyone, just a little disclaimer as the series continues: I plan on sticking closely with the canon side of things; however I will be incorporating a little from the EU as it goes on. Here I know Anakin is technically not a Knight yet, but for story and plotlines' sake, I have made him a Knight earlier than the EU has set out. Other than that, I really hope you all enjoy this next chapter. I plan on posting weekly or biweekly at this point! Much love -Rach)

Alana woke the next morning, the bed empty beside her, and she sat up quickly, pulling the sheets around her body, looking around the room for Obi-Wan. The room was empty, except for a small bag sitting in the corner, the one that she had brought with her from Coruscant. He must have gone to get it sometime in the night.

Suddenly, she heard the door to the room open, and she heard Obi-Wan talking to a clone.

"Thank you, Commander, I'm sure General Shaak Ti will have much to say about this transmission in the meeting," he said. "I will see you then."

Alana remained seated on the bed as she heard the door close, and light footsteps coming towards the bedroom. Obi-Wan came into view, fully dressed in his Jedi robes, and he smiled as he saw Alana sitting up in front of them.

"Hello, my darling," he said, coming in and placing a kiss on her forehead. "I'm glad to see you're awake."

"What time is it?" Alana asked, looking out the window, to where it was still raining on Kamino, the overcast skies not giving a sense of time.

"A little after 8 o'clock in the morning here," Obi-Wan said, sitting on the bed beside her. "You slept in."

"I suppose I did, but that's only because someone kept me up all night," Alana said, stroking his beard gently before placing a kiss on his lips. She could feel him smirk when pressing his lips against hers. After a moment she pulled back and looked at him, content to be in his arms once again. "Thank you for bringing my things from the ship," Alana said.

"Of course," Obi-Wan said. "Although, Commander Bash helped me. He's a good soldier, I see."

"He is," Alana said, finally standing from the bed. She could feel his gaze on her as she walked across the room to get a new change of clothes for the day. She went to the bathroom to wash up and prepare for the day. As she was tying her hair up, she noticed Obi-Wan in the mirror. He was standing in the doorway, watching her, a soft look on his face. He was quiet, thoughtful, but his mind seemed to be elsewhere. Alana noted the slight frown, the furrowed brows before trying to bring him back.

"What is it, Obi?" She asked quietly, turning to him as she pinned the last part of her hair back. He was torn from his thoughts at her question and shook his head.

"I do not wish to trouble you," he said.

"Was it about what the Commander said at the door when you came?"

Obi-Wan sighed and took Alana into his arms, holding her for a moment. "There's no fooling you, is there?" Alana rolled her eyes and ignored his comment, wanting to know more about the conversation

"I could hear you talking about some transmission," Alana said. "What was it about?

"There's been a report about a Separatist plot to attack Kamino," he said. "I was with Shaak Ti this morning, and she mentioned it to me. We'll be discussing it more in-depth at the meeting in a few minutes," he said.

"What is it about? What's going on?" Alana demanded, stepping back from Obi-Wan. She wanted to know, but she could tell that he was not in the mood.

"Alana-"

"It's alright," Alana stopped him. Even though he seemed happy on the outside at being with her, his mind seemed clouded with the war. "This war changes so much in our lives," Alana said quietly. "The days are gone when I could go and find solace in the archives back at the Temple on Coruscant. Now my days are filled with combat training and planning for when the next attack could be."

"We can only hope that this war is over quickly, although it does not seem that it will go that way," Obi-Wan replied, stepping back so that Alana could pass back out of the bathroom. She flopped down on one of the chairs that looked out over the stormy ocean, the lightning and rain filling the sky. Obi-Wan came and stood behind the chair, leaning down just enough to wrap his arms around her.

"Anakin is angry with me," Alana said quietly. "Having a quarrel with him is filling my mind up so I can hardly breathe. He's my brother, and I care for him. But he blames me for leaving him on Tatooine to deal with our mother's death alone" she shook her head and looked up at Obi-Wan. "I need us to work things out, but I don't know what to say. He won't listen to me."

Obi-Wan thought for a moment, his head nestled in the crook of Alana's neck, his light breaths tickling her neck.

"He will listen to you," Obi-Wan said. "When we were protecting the Senator, he did listen to you, and he respected your guidance. Even if he is angry, you are his sister. I know he will listen."

Alana doubted his words, but it was worth a try to speak with him again.

"Come," Obi-Wan spoke, noticing the time that was projected onto the wall. "We should go to the meeting. Everything will be explained, and you'll be able to talk to Anakin afterward."

Alana nodded, and let Obi-Wan come around, helping her to her feet. He grabbed their robes from where they were laying on the other chair in the room and helped Alana into hers, stopping her, his hand suddenly grasping the chain that hung around her neck, the silver ring attached.

"I'm glad you still have this," he said quietly, before tucking it back under her shirt and planting a kiss on her lips. "I like knowing that you take a part of me with you wherever you go."

"And I like that you take a part of me with you too," Alana responded, tracing his chest with her hand, feeling the chain with his ring below it.

They exchanged quick smiles before Obi-Wan put on his robe and the two of them discreetly left the room, making their way into the Kaminoans' brightly-lit hallway. Using her Force abilities to guide the way, they maneuvered throughout the hallway back to the meeting room. When they arrived, a few others were already there, but soon enough everyone arrived and the meeting could begin. Shaak Ti, Anakin, the Prime Minister, Lama Su, a few other Kaminoans, Commander Bash, Commander Cody, and Captain Rex were all present alongside Obi-Wan and Alana. Sylvan was notably absent, still coped up in the medical area. Alana made a mental note to check in with her Padawan after the meeting was over.

"It appears to me that everyone's here," Alana finally spoke, the room quieting down.

"Will your Padawan not be joining us?" Shaak Ti asked, looking around the room.

"No, she was injured, I believe she is still in the medical bay. I will bring her up to speed later," Alana said.

"Of course," Shaak Ti replied. She turned to the hologram projector and began the meeting. Almost immediately, a schematic of the Kaminoan city popped up, turning to see all of the entrances and exits marked. "As some of you may have heard already, Jedi Master Quinlan Vos recently came into possession of a Separatist plot while pursuing his mission in the Separatist space. He was able to get a message from his station to the Jedi Council, which has since been retransmitted to us."

"The message contains the plans for a Separatist plot to attack Kamino," Lama Su said. "We must defend this city at all costs."

"I agree," Anakin spoke up. "We can't afford to lose Kamino or to see Tipoca City destroyed. Do we know what the Separatists plan of attack is?"

"It appears that there will be 3 modes of attack, one from the ground and two from the sky. We're not exactly sure who will be leading the attack, but most likely the Count or his new General Grevious."

Alana could feel Obi-Wan tense up slightly at the mention of Grevious' name, and she glanced at him, noting the look of general unpleasantness stretch across his face. She hadn't met the General, but she had been in with the Council when he was first mentioned. Alana turned her attention back to Shaak Ti just as she was discussing the battle plans.

"The Council has already sent help our way. We have a large fleet coming, with Jedi Generals Kossex, Tsui Choi, and Aayla Secura all on their way with additional troops to help with plans here on Kamino. Once the Separatist fleet reaches the battle, we have a plan for a surprise ambush, done by Jedi General Oppo Rancisis, who will wait for our signal in a nearby system and hyperspace jump to Kamino to ambush the Separatists."

"It sounds like you've formulated a good plan, Master Ti" Obi-Wan said. "But do we know when exactly the attack will be? It won't do us any good to be on high alert now if the attack is supposed to come in a week. And we have yet to receive these reinforcements you speak of."

"Unfortunately, we're not entirely sure when this plot is to take place. We do know that it has only just been approved by the Count, so the invasion won't take place until after our reinforcements arrive later today."

"What do we have in place for defense here on the ground in Kamino?" Alana asked.

"That's why I asked for the Commanders and Captain to be here," Master Shaak Ti said. "Would you three explain the formations of the battalions?"

"General Kenobi and General Anakin Skywalker will be leading part of the defense from the sky," Captain Cody began, approaching the table and pulling up a list of the available troops. "BleSquadron will be ready for immediate takeoff upon the beginning of the attack. Blue Squadron will be picking off any surviving landing craft and fighters that made it past Red Squadron's attacks, led by General Kossex."

As Cody continued to speak, Alana began to realize how truly different each of the clones was, despite their similar appearances. Cody was very true to form military man, his speech pattern and upright attention demonstrating that he was a stickler for the rules. She glanced over Captain Rex as he spoke, naming the other Jedi and their roles in battle. He spoke much more sharply, his voice commanding attention and respect. He seemed a good and strong leader, but perhaps took after Anakin when it came to the rules.

Then she looked to Bash. From her experiences serving alongside him, she had begun to notice that he was a more relaxed leader, kind and keen on laughter, but when it came down to it, he could flip his switch and fire orders and become serious when need be. She liked his style of leadership. She perked up when suddenly she heard him begin to speak, mentioning her name.

"And last but not least, General Skywal-" he suddenly paused and looked back-and-forth between Alana and Anakin. "Sirs, do you have something you'd like us to call you when it comes to battle?"

"What are you talking about?" Anakin asked, looking sharply at Bash.

"Well, sir, you and your sister share the same name. If we fight together, some of the clones may be confused as two which 'General Skywalker' we're referring to," Bash said.

"Just have the men call me General Alana," Alana said. "Leave the General Skywalker to Anakin," she flashed a smile at her brother, trying to elicit some response from him, but she was dismayed by the look on his face. He seemed upset to be associated with her. She could feel the walls around him in the Force, not wanting to be felt or seen by her.

"Well, then, General Alana will be down on the ground with General Ti as the large part of the ground defense system, with 5 attack battalions prepped and ready for orders," Commander Bash said, nodding at Alana. "This comprises the last and final part of the defense."

It was apparent that the men had spent lots of time thinking about this defense.

"Well done commanders, captain," Alana said, looking at the clones.

"It's really mostly General Kenobi's plan, sir," Commander Cody said.

Alana looked up at Obi-Wan, who flashed her a quick smile before humbly shaking his head.

"We are all in this defense together, my friends."

"Well, that settles it," Shaak Ti said. "We should remain on high alert these next few days. I'm sure this Separatist plot will happen quicker than we expect. For now, inspect your stations and make sure you and your men are fully prepared for this attack. If there are no further questions, this meeting is now officially finished."

Everyone nodded, with Alana watching as Obi-Wan moved off to speak more with the Kaminoans. She saw Anakin standing in the middle of the room, talking with Rex. She made a motion to head in his direction, wanting to speak with him when Commander Bash stopped her.

"Should we go inspect the area we're defending?" He asked. Alana's eyes were still latched on Anakin as Rex left his side, and Anakin made a beeline towards the exit, eager to get out of the room. 

"General?" Bash spoke again. Alana's eyes flickered over to him.

"Oh, yes, Commander. I'll be there shortly. There's just something I need to take care of first," she said, watching Anakin disappear from the room. She quickly excused herself from the room and entered the hallway. She looked left and right, seeing him turn the corner.

"Anakin!" She called before making her way quickly after him.

He had just turned into a room when it became clear to Alana that he was ignoring her and she gritted her teeth. She was tired of him being upset and angry with her. It needed to end, and she needed to get his attention before their relationship could deteriorate any more.

"Anakin, stop!" Alana nearly shouted across the room. He was leaving her behind again, unwilling to face his emotions. He paused in the middle of the room, not even bothering to turn around and look at his sister as she spoke to him. "Please, listen to me. I know you're angry. I just," she paused. "I just need you to listen, please."

"I know why you're upset. I was there," she continued. "I saw what happened to Mom. I saw the scars, the burns, the bruises, and the blood. And I was angry. I wanted to kill every single one of her murderers too. And you avenged her in a way that I know I was too weak to," Alana shook her head, sensing her brother's hesitation. She wanted to reach for him, to comfort him like she did when he had only been a child on Tatooine.

"I loved her, Anakin," Alana said, barely audible. "Just as much as you. She was the most beautiful, wonderful woman who raised me to be good, to do good. I learned from her how to protect the ones I love, but it seems that I failed at protecting you when it came to her death. And in my failure, you have come to hate me, and I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry."

"I never hated you," Anakin spoke, quietly, turning just enough so that his eyes could meet hers. "I could never hate you. You're the only family I have left."

"Then what is it? What is it that is keeping you from talking about our own mother? From talking to your own sister?"

"Because I'm ashamed," Anakin said, turning now to face her as she began to approach him in the middle of the room. "At first, I thought it was because I killed them all, the men, the women, the children. But now, it's not shame that I feel because I killed them, it's shame because I have no remorse. No regrets. And I would kill them all, over again and again and again if it meant I could bring back Mom."

Alana watched a transformation occur on Anakin's face. He went from a deep-seated sadness and remorse to one of silent and calm determination, a look that sent chills through Alana's bones. She could see that Anakin was no longer the little boy she had always tried to picture him. For so long she had clung to the image of the child on Tatooine, one who needed to be protected and guided at all costs, but Anakin had grown up. He no longer leaned on Alana like he once had. He was a man, a Jedi, a warrior, and Alana had to let him go.

"You've grown up," Alana whispered, approaching her brother and taking his hand in hers. His eyes reflected slight surprise at her actions as she patted his hand, trying to find the right words. "I've spent my whole life trying to protect you, and now that I have failed in doing so, I realize that you don't need my protection. You never did, Anakin. I'm sorry I didn't realize that sooner."

Anakin stood for a moment, before pulling his sister in for a hug. His tall frame engulfed hers, Alana no longer able to place a comforting kiss to his forehead.

"I'm sorry I've been so angry with you, Lanie," he said, letting her go. "Mom's death hurt on every level, and I tried to take it all out on you, I suppose."

"No, Ani," Alana said. "I'm the one who's sorry. I can only hope to make it up to you somehow. That I can prove to you that I'm the woman, the Jedi that you pictured when you were little. I don't want to fail you again. I won't fail you again. I promise."


	29. Preparing for War

Once Alana and Anakin finally parted ways, Alana made her way to the medical bay, entering to the sounds of her Padawan protesting against treatment.

"No, no! I'm perfectly fine now. I need to go find my Master, I'm sure she's looking for me,"

"You need your rest," a clone voice replied. "The droids said you wouldn't be able to properly use your foot for a few more days."

"Absolutely not, Captain. Now let me out of here this instant or-"

"Sylvan," Alana said, rounding the corner to see her Padawan sitting upright on a bed, practically being restrained by Captain Rex. He had gotten out of the briefing room before Alana had finished speaking with Anakin.

“Please don't finish that threat, Sylvan,” Alana continued. “You’ll be doing whatever the droids tell you."

Seeing Alana arrive, Captain Rex let go of Sylvan, who had stopped struggling against him to get out of bed. Her ears and face drooped down as she looked over at her Master.

"Rex briefed me on the situation, Master. He said that the Separatists are planning an attack of Kamino."

"Good, thank you," Alana said to the clone. He glanced over at Sylvan, a concerned expression flashing across his face before it vanished and he excused himself from the room. Alana raised an eyebrow before looking back at Sylvan. "That trooper seems rather fond of you," she said.

"He's a good man," Sylvan said. "Although, I didn't particularly like him keeping me here. It's just a broken ankle."

"Broken ankle? I thought you strained it," Alana replied. "All the more reason for you to lay back down and keep your foot elevated until whatever the droids have done heals you. You will have your time for action in the coming days. I need you when the attack occurs, and if you injure yourself again in the next few days, you won't be able to join me on the front lines."

"Yes, Master," Sylvan said quietly, looking down at her hands.

Alana looked at her Padawan's upset expression, and she pursed her lips. That had always been one of Sylvan's downfalls, just like Alana. They both were stubborn, and they both hated sitting still. It was one of their lesser capabilities.

"Why don't we get you a moving chair, then you can join me as I go to meet with the Blitz Company and the rest of our ground defenses," Alana suggested, knowing that that would keep Sylvan out of trouble and off her foot.

Sylvan's face lit up at the suggestion. Soon enough, Sylvan was sitting on a moving chair, sitting so that her face was almost at eye-level with Alana. They left the medical wing, with Alana promising the medical droids and Kaminoan healers that she would keep Sylvan off of her feet.

The two of them made their way down the hallway to where the command center would be located during the battle. They met up with Commander Bash, the Captains Cloak and Dagger, and another commander of a battalion that had yet to be deployed. Shaak Ti was already present, having come straight from the meeting. She looked up when Alana and Sylvan entered and gave them a slight head nod.

"How are you feeling, Sylvan?" She asked, breaking off her conversation with the clone leaders.

"I've been better, but I can only hope that I'll be well enough to help during the battle," Sylvan said. "But right now, I've been instructed to rest and to not overuse my foot."

"I see. Well, it's good for you to know the plans for the defense of Kamino," Shaak Ti said. "The troopers and I were just formulating a plan."

"Where are our weakest points?" Alana asked, and watched as Shaak Ti pulled up a map of Tipoca City, pointing to the various access hatches and entrances that would need guarded. Alana furrowed her brows. They would need a lot of men in order to hold the ground. "And how many men do we have?"

"We have two battalions right now, and two more on the way with Aayla Secura and the rest of our reinforcements. Unfortunately, the battalions that aren't the 403rd have yet to experience combat on the field."

"I served alongside a group of new troopers on the battlefield of Geonosis. Their training was enough then, and I'm sure that these mens' training is enough now," Alana said. She looked to the commander that she didn't know and took a breath."It'll have to be enough."

"They will be, Generals. Don't you worry about that," he replied. "They'll defend this city at all costs."

"Thank you, commander," Alana said. "What is your name?"

"Commander Wolffe, sir, of the 104th," said the first commander.

He came to attention when he addressed Alana, but she waved him down, which earned her a glance from Shaak Ti.

"Still not a fan of formalities, then?" She said.

"Master Skywalker has never been particularly fond of them. You should have seen her face when we got our first formal welcome onto Admiral Ivanov's cruiser!" Sylvan laughed placing a dumbfounded yet frustrated look on her face, imitating the face Alana had made at the time. This earned her a few chuckles from the commanders and captains and an eyebrow raise from Alana.

"You look spectacular right now, Sylvan," Alana said. "But I have to admit, the Kaminoans copy much better than you do. I'm pretty sure I looked absolutely nothing like that. Maybe you could learn a thing or two from them," her response earned a laugh from the clones. The dumbfounded expression was wiped off of Sylvan's face as she couldn't come up with a better remark for her Master.

"I was only joking, Master," Sylvan exclaimed, crossing her arms across her chest.

Shaak Ti had watched this interaction between Master and Padawan, an amused expression spread across her face, and shook her head, wanting to change the subject.

"If you two are quite finished, we should return to the defense of Kamino," she finally spoke up.

"Of course," they both said, and they turned back to the hologram.

"I think the best course of action is to have the 403rd spread out amongst the various hatches, that way we have experienced troops at each entry point," Alana said. "We have four companies that can be divided at each of the entrances to the city."

"Is splitting up your men a good idea?' Shaak Ti asked. Alana turned to Commander Bash and the two captains of Blitz company and nodded for them to respond.

"Each company is strong, regardless of whether they're with the group or apart," Bash said. "Although there are four hatches, we'll have to make up for the last one somehow."

"We'll place the 104th at the side entrance, and the two incoming battalions at the rear entrances. The 403rd will be split up and three companies will reinforce those sides since we won't be able to have Jedi at each location."

"That only leaves one company for the front, General," Commander Wolffe spoke.

"Yes," Alana frowned. They couldn't leave the other exits without extra reinforcements, but that left the front entrance to be held only by one company.

"Blitz Company can handle it, sir," Captain Cloak said. "They're the best and most experienced of the 403rd."

"The only thing we would need is you two," Captain Dagger added, nodding towards Alana and Sylvan. "Two Jedi on the front lines is like having a whole other company."

"What do you think, Ti?" Alana asked.

"I haven't seen your men in action, but I trust and value their judgment. If they believe that you and the Blitz Company can hold the front line on your own, then I trust them."

"Then it's decided," Alana said. "The 403rd will be divided amongst the other battalions, and the Blitz Company will hold the front entrance with both Sylvan and me."

"We have a few ARC troopers that are currently in stasis, we'll activate them and send them to the front lines to reinforce you. That should be enough to keep the front lines intact," Shaak Ti said.

"That sounds like a plan," Alana replied. "Do we have an ETA on when our reinforcements will arrive?"

"This afternoon, hopefully," Shaak Ti said before shaking her head. "Unfortunately, I don't have a specific time for their impending arrival."

"That's alright, we can only be patient and wait for their arrival. But perhaps we could go ahead and run some drills to see how long it would take for each battalion to arrive at their stations?" Alana asked.

"I'll brief the men of their stations and inform them of the impending drills," Commander Bash said, nodding to Alana. "It'll be good to keep the men on their toes.

Shaak Ti typed something into the hologram and suddenly Anakin and Obi-Wan came up.

"Hello Master Ti," Obi-Wan said, his eyes quickly flickering to where Alana stood behind Shaak. "What is it?"

"Alana and I were discussing that it would be good to run a few drills to ensure maximum preparedness before the invasion," Shaak said.

"Won't that tire the men out?" Sylvan suddenly piped up from behind Alana. Alana turned and shook her head at her Padawan.

"They may be a little tired, but this will give them a chance to gain some experience if they haven't already and prepare them for the actual moment of attack," Alana replied.

"She's right, young one," Obi-Wan agreed. "I'll inform Commander Cody, and we can also prepare ourselves for the aerial defense."

"Good. We'll speak afterwards," Shaak Ti said before bowing and the hologram vanished.

They quickly turned and went about preparing for the drill, and within the hour, the first drill had begun. The emergency sirens were sounded, and Alana and Sylvan made their way quickly to their positions in the city. They were greeted by the sight of the Blitz Company with Commander Bash and Captains Cloak and Dagger at the front. Beside them was an ARC Trooper who Alana had never seen before.

"ARC Trooper Alpha-17, sir!" The Arc Trooper said, coming to a stiff attention.

"Please, trooper, I'm not-" Alana trailed off and looked at where her Padawan was smirking up at her from her seat in the moving chair. "What?"

Sylvan turned to the trooper and smiled widely before saying, "My Master isn't the biggest fan of formalities, so don't bother coming to attention."

"Sorry, sir, but my programming requires me to come to attention in the presence of my superiors," the trooper responded, still standing tall at attention.

His response caused the three other troopers to exchange looks with each other then looking over at Alana and waiting to see her reaction. She too raised an eyebrow, and shrugged.

"If that makes you more comfortable, then so be it. Just know that it's not necessary, trooper," she replied. He nodded at her before she continued. "Now, let's gather the men and lay out the plan. Commander, I assume you have specific places in plan for where the troops would do best?"

"Yes, sir," Bash said, turning and pointing to the area they would have to cover. Alana followed him and they discussed the plan and placement of the troops for some time before coming to a conclusion they felt was the best option for the best defense of Tipoca City. Sylvan watched on as her Master listened to Bash's comments, and sometimes respectfully refuted with some of her own ideas. Sylvan learned best by watching and then getting hands on experience. She only hoped that Alana would soon trust her enough to plan an attack or a defense herself.

After they had decided on a formal plan, the group disbanded to continue about their work until the second drill brought them back together.

Alana and Sylvan both remained put and watched over the clones as they prepared the defenses of the front lines. Alana also encouraged Sylvan to meditate and practice her focus on the Force around her, which at one point resulted in her accidentally lifting an unwitting clone trooper into the sky and nearly dropping him down on his head.

Needless to say, from then on, the troopers steered clear of where Sylvan was training under Alana's guidance. 

After running through a few additional drills that afternoon, Tipoca City was ready and well-fortified. The only thing left to do was wait. Alana found her Padawan was exhausted and she escorted her back to the medical bay in order to ensure that an eye would keep her in check and make her rest.

Alana then found that she was also tired, and she made her way back towards where her quarters were. On the way, she ran into Anakin and Obi-Wan, who had stopped and been talking strategies in the hallway.

"We'll have to bring in the rest of Blue Squadron after Red Squadron has picked as many out of the sky as possible," Obi-Wan said before noticing Alana heading towards them.

"Hi," Alana said, flashing the two of them a tired smile. "How does the aerial defense look?"

"Not too bad, but I'll feel better once we have our reinforcements,"Obi-Wan said.

"We'll be fine out there. How about in here? We'll have to keep the incubated clones from being sabotaged by the droid army," Anakin said.

"I know, Ani," Alana said, causing her brother to ruffle his hand through his hair as he realized he had accused her of being underprepared. "Master Ti and I have devised a strong defense plan, and we have some good men on the lines with us."

"That's good to hear," Anakin said when suddenly Alana could see Captain Rex heading up towards the group of Jedi.

"Generals," he acknowledged them all before turning to Anakin. "Did you want to check on that thing from earlier?" He asked.

"That thing?" Alana asked, noting the look exchanged between Anakin and Rex before Anakin shook his head, a light smile on his face as he began to turn to follow Rex away from a puzzled Obi-Wan and Alana.

"Oh, it's no big deal," he said. "I'll tell you about it later, don't worry!"

As he disappeared down the hallway, Obi-Wan shook his head and his hand went up to stroke his beard.

"He never sits still," he said.

"He never has," Alana replied, turning in the direction of their quarters.

"How was your day?" Obi-Wan asked as they continued down the hallway.

"It was alright," Alana said. "Every time I speak with Commander Bash, my confidence in his strategies and leadership grows."

"The clones are rather remarkable," Obi-Wan agreed. "When we first arrived here and saw them for the first time, I was impressed, but now I am stunned. To go from no army to nearly millions of troops is no small feat."

"That seems like so long ago," Alana said as they arrived at Obi-Wan's room. Alana watched as the door opened, and Obi-Wan stepped inside.

She hesitated, looking up and down the deserted hallway before Obi-Wan suddenly pulled into the room. He kissed her right as the door shut behind them, and almost immediately all of their fears and stresses fell away.

Unfortunately, as they broke apart, Alana could sense Obi-Wan's stress return, and she pulled him to the chair in front of the window to sit where she had been that morning. He pulled her onto his lap, letting her curl up in his arms as he prepared himself for her questions.

"What is it?" Alana said. "What's bothering you so much?"

“Promise me you’ll be careful?” He asked, brushing her hair gently from her face.

“Obi-Wan,” Alana said gently, rubbing circles on his leg to help calm him down. “Do you trust my training? Do you trust me?”

“That’s not what I’m asking,” Obi-Wan replied. “I do trust your training, and I know that you are a good and strong Jedi, but I still want you to promise me you’ll be careful when the time comes.”

“I promise,” Alana responded before placing a kiss to his temple.

The two of them stayed in the room for some time before joining the others in the refectory for dinner.

The next few days went by quickly, with everyone on edge. Even once their reinforcements arrived, the tensions were running high as they did all they could to be patient. The imminent threat of a Separatist attack was daunting, but the clones and the Jedi were as prepared as they could be.

For two days, they waited.

Some of the clones were beginning to doubt whether the attack would ever come. But it did. In the middle of the night, Alana woke with a start to the sound of the invasion alarm. She felt Obi-Wan jump up beside her, and the two of them hurriedly got dressed silently, knowing that the time for chatter was over.

As the two of them stepped out of the room discreetly together, Alana stopped Obi-Wan suddenly.

"Be careful, Obi-Wan," Alana whispered, grabbing his hand in hers as he turned to go. "Please."

He turned back to his wife, seeing a flash of worry flicker in her eyes. He took a deep breath and turned back to her, caressing her cheek gently, moving her hair from off of her face.

"Always, my love," he said quietly, before letting go and racing down the hallway towards the hanger, while Alana stood still for a moment, watching him move away from her. She closed her eyes and turned away, making her way towards the front defense lines of Tipoca City.

The first battle of Kamino had begun.


	30. The First Battle of Kamino

When Alana finally arrived at the main entrance, it was quiet other than the sound of the rain pattering loudly outside the covered front entrance. She noted that her Padawan was up and standing outside of the doors but under the shelter of the awning. With her stood Commander Bash and Captain Rex. Alana scanned Sylvan, noting that her foot and ankle clearly had healed before making her way over to them.

"Captain, I did not realize that your company was joining us here," Alana said, turning to Rex and raising an eyebrow.

"Sorry for that, sir. General Skywalker requested us to remove our company from aerial defense to the front lines down here. Said there were too many men in the sky," Captain Rex said.

"I've already briefed him on everything," Sylvan piped up. "Rex and his men are ready."

"Good," Alana said before looking up at the skies. She could just faintly see the outline of a massive invasion force in the upper atmosphere. The fight had already begun up in the sky.

But it was nearly dead silent down below. Alana felt her worry heighten as she watched a few ships descending further towards Tipoca City, but they were soon cut down by a haze of blaster shots from a starfighter. Unfortunately, that didn't last for very long. The ships of troops kept coming and coming.

After nearly an hour of waiting for ships to land, an onslaught of troops came. Nearly ten ships managed to land at various points around Tipoca City. Alana watched as the fighters in the sky began to be overrun and the droid landing ships began to disembark.

"Alright, men," Alana said. "Let's get ready!" She called, watching as the droid army was deployed and began to march towards the entrance that Alana and her men were defending.

As soon as the droids got within range of fire, the action began. Commander Bash began to order fire on the troops, and both Sylvan and Alana ignited their lightsabers, doing their best to protect themselves and the men nearby by deflecting the droid blasters. After some time, the droid army began to organize and began advancing closer and closer to the city. They continued to receive reinforcements.

Alana then nodded at Commander Bash, who was back behind the front defense line with members of the Blitz Company. They were gearing up to make their way around the sides of the droid army as a secret attack from the rear and from the sides. Alana looked back at the fight and then over at Alpha-17 and nodded. It was time for their diversion.

"Fire the cannons!" Alana called, looking back at where the canons had been set up under the awning, hidden beneath random storage containers as to conceal their location. She knew they wouldn't have long before the droids would begin to assault the canons, but the heavy canon bombardment would be a distraction long enough for the Blitz Company to launch their assault from the sides, cutting off the droid army from behind.

A barrage of large blasts nearly knocked Alana to the ground. The droids' forward assault had been halted by the heavy cannon fire. The Blitz Company began its movement forward, quickly and quietly through the water surrounding the bridge that led from the landing platform to the main entrance.

Alana looked to Sylvan and nodded. It was time to begin the main forward assault. She motioned for the men to follow her into battle, and they did. Sylvan and Alana raced out into the rain, lightsabers blazing as they reached the front of the droid army. They fought the droids, striking them down before they even managed to get a shot off, but it didn't last long. Alana realized that the droids were regrouping and one-by-one the clones began to get picked off. 

"Any time now!" Alana said through her com channel to Commander Bash as she sliced down another droid.

She looked up just in time to see the Blitz Company leaping up from the water and beginning their attack on the droid army from behind. The droids were mal-equipped to deal with new and surprising situations.

"Come on! We have to press forward!" Alana shouted, racing towards the Blitz Company, her Padawan hot on her heels. The droid army was suddenly cut in half, now fighting on two fronts instead of just one.

They managed to destroy nearly half of the droid forces. For the next few minutes, Alana's force worked through the droids and up to meet the Blitz Company. They were doing well. Alana sliced down two droids before finding herself coming back to back with Commander Bash.

"Good to see you, sir," he said.

"Good diversion, Commander," Alana replied, deflecting a blast right back at an unwitting droid.

The two fought side by side for a moment when suddenly, Alana heard an explosion up in the sky. She looked up to see a familiar fighter spiraling out of control, heading quickly towards the ground, a trail of smoke behind it.

It was Obi-Wan's fighter. Alana froze, watching in horror as her husband was falling from the sky. Anakin's fighter came after it, but before she could see what happened, it disappeared out of sight behind the city, and Alana gasped as she heard it crash seconds later. Alana looked back up at the Kaminoan sky, the rain pouring on her face, just in time to watched as dozens of droid ships continued past the aerial blockade and make their way towards the front entrance.

Suddenly, two droid ships rushed past the ground fire and head straight for the heavy canons. A couple of explosions behind her sent Alana sprawling to the ground, her lightsaber tumbling out of reach.

She groaned and rolled over, her hand reaching up to feel blood trickling down her face. She had acquired a gash to the side of her face from hitting the ground. The rain poured down around her as she fought to regain her senses. She noted the massive incoming wave of droids, the clones beginning to lose ground, and the blazing fire where the heavy cannons had once been.

"General!" Alana looked up to see Captain Rex kneeling above her, reaching his hand out for her to grab. She took it and let him help her up. She staggered a bit, but he caught her. "You alright, sir?" He asked.

"I'll be fine," Alana replied, finally regaining her senses. She looked around and shook her head, they were out of the blast zone for the time being, but that wouldn't last long. The clones were going down fast and hard. They needed to regroup.

"We have to pull back," Alana said. "Pull everyone back!" She looked around for Commander Bash, but she couldn't see him anywhere. The blast from the heavy canons must have sent them both flying. As the men began to fall back, Alana scanned for him in the rubble, she could sense him, but she couldn't see him.

"Master, come on!" Sylvan said, racing up to Alana.

"No, you go, get everyone back. I'll be right behind you."

"Promise?" Sylvan asked.

Alana nodded, and she looked around when suddenly she spotted movement. Underneath another clone. Alana raced over and pushed the dead clone out of the way to reveal Commander Bash. His helmet was cracked all the way across his face, the broken glass revealing his right eye underneath.

"General," he said weakly.

"Can you stand?" Alana asked him, sitting him up. She looked up to see the droids getting closer.

"I think so," Commander Bash said.

"Good, because we have to go," Alana said, helping him up and igniting her lightsaber, using it to deflect blaster shots as the two of them hobbled along, desperately trying to get back behind the Republic lines.

Finally, they got back to where everyone else was holding position alongside the outer doors to the city. Commander Bash was taken back to the medical center by a medic, despite his overwhelming protests. He was too badly wounded to be on the front lines anymore.

Alana turned and watched the droid army as it suddenly came to a halt. They were regrouping, which would give the clones time to regroup also, but it wouldn't last long. The droids would overrun the city if they couldn't come up with a solution.

Suddenly, Alana was being signaled. She answered, to see Shaak Ti come up on her screen.

"Tell your men to hold their position, Alana. Meet at the commander center immediately. We're going to have to come up with another solution," Shaak Ti said, her face looking rather grim. Alana pursed her lips and nodded.

She turned to where Rex, Cloak, Dagger, Sylvan, and Alpha-17 were all standing, talking during the lull of the battle.

"Alpha-17, Sylvan. You're with me," Alana said. "Captains, the three of you hold your position here. Contact me immediately if I'm not back before the droids begin their advancement. Understood?"

"Sir, yes, sir!" They all said.

Alana nodded, and she turned, racing back inside the city towards the main command center. When she arrived, she let out a large sigh of relief when she saw Obi-Wan and Anakin standing beside Shaak Ti. Obi-Wan was worse for wear, Anakin was frowning, and Shaak Ti was busy giving orders to the commanders at the station. Everyone was thoroughly drenched from the rain outside.

"They're going to overrun the front entrance and the development center. If they do that, they'll manage to sabotage the next generation of clones," Alana said, racing towards the group of Jedi at the command center with Sylvan and Alpha-17 hot on her heels. 

Alpha-17 took a seat at the command center, immediately getting to work on something while the Jedi looked up at her arrival.

"What happened to you?" Obi-Wan asked, noting the dried blood and the large gash on her face.

"It's just a scratch," Alana said, waving him off. "We have more pressing issues at hand now."

"You're right, Alana," Shaak Ti said. "As you can see, Obi-Wan and Anakin's aerial defense was shot right out of the sky, and now we don't have that defensive coverage. It seems that the droids are currently regrouping, but one they do, we won't have any time for any mistakes."

"What's the plan?" Sylvan asked. "The droids just keep coming, and now we're missing part of our aerial support. Have we contacted General Kossex or any of the rest of the fleet in the blockade?"

"They aren't able to send us down any support. They're doing all they can now by preventing any more droids from landing." Anakin shook his head. "We're on our own down here. We'll have to do it ourselves."

"There are too many droids to just simply continue our defense," Alana said. "Do we have another solution?"

"I've already started a self-destruct sequence," Alpha-17 suddenly spoke up from where he was seated at the command center.

"YOU WHAT!?" All the Jedi exclaimed, turning to the clone.

"On whose authority?" Obi-Wan demanded.

"It's my protocol."

"It's in your protocol?" Alana exclaimed in exasperatedly. This clone was getting on her nerves.

"In the event of potential sabotage by the Separatists, they have a procedure to destroy the city and all the cloning materials and any clones in stasis," Sylvan suddenly piped up. Alana turned to her Padawan and raised an eyebrow that her Padawan knew that kind of information.

"We can't do that. Stop the self-destruct sequence, now!" Anakin ordered, drawing Alana's attention back to the clone.

"Sorry, sir, but I can't do that."

"Can't, or won't?" Alana demanded, equally enraged. She noted the equal frustration on Obi-Wan's face and Shaak Ti's concern.

"Won't, that's for damn sure," Anakin scoffed.

"We need to calm down," Shaak Ti said. "I know none of us are happy with this, but is there any other solution? One that can end the self-destruct sequence and protect the city from sabotage by the Separatists?" Shaak Ti asked calmly, even though her face was etched with frustration.

The group all thought for a moment, with Alana pursing her lips and frowning in concentration, trying to think of all of the parts of the city.

"Can you pull up a map of the city?" Alana suddenly asked one of the clones that was sitting, waiting for instruction from the Jedi. "And the surrounding waters?"

He nodded and a hologram appeared in front of the group. Alana scanned it as it was rotating around them.

"What's this?" Alana pointed to a large structure that encircled the city, like a giant circle barrier.

"It's the transparisteel bridge that holds back the waters, keeping the city above water," Shaak Ti said. "What do you have in mind?" She asked.

"I'm not sure," Alana said, trying to figure out whether they would be able to use it in an assault.

"I have an idea," Alpha-17 said, moving the hologram projection up closer so that the exact inner workings of the barrier could be seen. "You're not going to like this idea, but it will work." He then proceeded to point to two different areas on the barrier. "If we blow up these two places, it will flood over the droids and destroy them all."

"And take the city down with it!" Anakin exclaimed. "That wall holds back the floodwaters. If we break it, the water will fill the city and ruin it, just like with your self-destruct sequence."

"General, sir, if you would just give me a moment to explain myself further, I'm sure you'll hear that what I have to say will prevent that from happening," Alpha-17 replied. His short response gained him a few looks from the rest of the clones and Jedi at the command center.

"Keep going," Alana snapped back.

"With you Jedi, the clones should be able to create a secondary barrier out of various scraps and trash that will surround the city, keeping the droids out, but everyone safe within," Alpha-17 finished.

"Where exactly do you expect us to get all the materials to build a barrier that quickly?" Obi-Wan asked. "We don't exactly have a bunch of junk lying around right now."

"Well, with help from you Jedi, we'll be able to move quicker, and yes, if we release the build-up from the trash compactors, we'll have enough to complete a strong barrier."

"And this will get you to stop the self-destruct sequence?" Shaak Ti asked.

"Yes, it will," Alpha-17 said. "Once the droids are destroyed, then I'll stop the sequence."

"How long is there before the city blows up?" Sylvan asked.

"One hour."

"That's not enough time," Sylvan balked at the idea. "There's no way that that's enough time."

Alana sighed and looked at Obi-Wan, then Anakin, and then over at Shaak Ti.

"What other choice do we have?" Alana asked, a note of finality in her voice. This was their only shot.

Shaak Ti shook her head. Alana was right.

"Let's get to work," she said. "Tell all available clones to discreetly begin collecting enough items to build an area of the wall that connects from their assigned entrance to another."

"Yes, sir," Alpha-17 said, turning and beginning to send out orders to the various clone commanders and captains at each entrance.

"Each of us should take a separate entrance. Shaak, you and I should return to our previous stations. Obi-Wan, Anakin, I'd suggest you split up so that we can each build our sections of the barrier faster," Alana said, turning to go. "I'll see you all soon."

With that, they all raced off in different directions, with Sylvan and Alana racing back to the front entrance. When they arrived, the place smelled horrendous, causing Alana to make a face and Sylvan to nearly gag.

"That's disgusting," Sylvan said, covering her face with her hand, trying to ward off the fumes.

They were quickly greeted by Captain Rex and Captain Dagger.

"I think it makes for a real nice perfume, don't you, Dag?" Rex said, glancing at Sylvan's disgusted expression then over at Dagger, his helmet in one hand, and a look of laughter on his face. "The droids have been holding their position. Seems that they're a little confused and still trying to regroup on the platform. And we've got the men-" he trailed off, turning to look at the men trying not to throw up as they dragged mushy piles of trash and debris across the floor to create a barrier. They had found large pieces of metal that would act as supports and they were using the masses of trash to fill in the holes. "Well, we've got the men knee-deep in rubbish."

"Good," Alana said. "Leave the heavy lifting to me and Sylvan. Focus your effort on maintaining structural stability for the barrier."

"You've got it, General," Rex said before racing off to join his men.

"Dagger, make sure to keep 3 of your men on constant surveillance of the droids. I want to know what they're up to."

"You've got it, General," he replied, turning and motioning to a couple of clones to follow him.

Once everyone was set to work quickly building the barrier, Alana turned to Sylvan.

"You and I will be moving all of the sections of the wall to their proper positions," Alana said. "Let's go, we don't have much time left."

The two Jedi turned and raced to the first sections and reached out through the Force, lifting it and moving it slowly to the correct position alongside the outside of the city. They moved as quickly as they could despite the effort that it was taking for them to move the sections of the wall. Alana could sense her Padawan beginning to fatigue from the amount of strain she was using. She had learned much through her time as Alana's apprentice, but her endurance was nothing compared to her Jedi Master's.

The wall was nearly finished, and they had managed to connect their half of the wall to Shaak Ti's, but they had to connect it to Obi-Wan's. 

"Master, I don't think-" Sylvan trailed off and slumped against one of the walls. She was so weak she could hardly finish a sentence. 

"It's alright," Alana said, stroking her Padawan's head gently. "I can finish the wall myself."

Alana raced along as quickly as she could to where the clones had placed the last section of the wall. From where she stood, she could just barely see the entrance where Obi-Wan was standing, waiting for her signal. She opened her comlink channel to his and spoke.

"Alright, we'll have to do this together," she said, speaking into her arm. "Last piece. Let's hope this works."

"Alright, my darling," Obi-Wan replied. "I'm ready."

She dropped her arm down, although keeping the com channel open, and reached out to the heavy section of metal. She closed her eyes, and she could feel the balance of everything around her as she began to focus on the metal. Beside her lifeforce, she could feel Obi-Wan's presence wrap around hers, helping and supporting her as they lifted and placed the metal down together. It was a different sensation.

As the clones rushed past Alana to finish locking the barrier into place, her eyes fluttered open and she noted Obi-Wan's gaze on her face through the light drizzle of rain. She smiled at him for a moment.

"Good-"

Before she could finish, a loud blast signaled to her that the droid army was beginning to approach the barrier. Alana's com signal beeped, causing her to sever her connection with Obi-Wan and she raced down the barrier towards the entrance. Captain Dagger was hailing her.

"The droids are advancing. They're shooting at the barrier. You have to get here!"

"I'm almost there!" Alana shouted back, racing quickly down the slippery barrier towards the main entrance. "Get everyone inside! I'm going to tell Alpha-17 to blow the transparisteel bridge!"

She radioed Alpha-17 at the command center.

"Our section is complete! Destroy the bridge!" She shouted, coming into view of the main entrance. Everyone was inside the main part of the city, but that's when Alana heard a blast shot and something broke. She looked behind her to see that there was a hole in one section of the wall. "No," she whispered. But before she could tell Alpha-17 to stop, the transparisteel bridge rumbled and groaned, and suddenly, Alana could see a giant tidal wave heading right for the barrier.

"Come on, General!" Captain Dagger said, causing Alana to look back at the group who were inside the city doors.

"No! The barrier won't hold!" Alana shouted over the roar of the impending wave of water and the pouring rain. "Get inside and shut the doors!"

"But-"

"Do it now, Captain! That's an order!" She yelled before turning to the barrier. She closed her eyes and reached out through the Force. She wrapped her whole lifeforce around the weak part in the barrier and waited for the cold brute strength of the water.

It hit her so hard that she nearly lost consciousness. Her grip on the barrier was loosening, and if she lost her grip through the Force, both her and the city would be swept away. She shouted out loud, feeling the strength nearly rip her apart when suddenly, she felt someone's lifeforce wrap around hers, and she could feel her grip tighten and the pain lessen.

After a few moments, she could hear a handful of clones racing out of the city to reinforce the stop she was so desperately holding together, and she could feel the weight of the water lessening as they finally fixed it.

Alana opened her eyes and found herself kneeling on the ground, with Obi-Wan' facing her, using his body as a shield from the barrier, his hand on her shoulder. His eyes opened, and they looked at each other in relief, both kneeling on the ground soaking wet from the rain.

"How?" Alana whispered, moving her drenched hair out of her face.

"I sensed that something was wrong almost as soon as the droids started to fire, so I followed you, and when I saw you holding the wall together, I came to help," Obi-Wan said. "I was afraid I would lose you otherwise."

"We did good," Alana said as the two of them began to stand, both leaning on each other for support. It had been a draining day on everyone.

"We did," Obi-Wan replied.

They looked up at the sky to see a bunch of Republic ships beginning to descend towards Tipoca City. The battle droids had all been destroyed and the Separatist fleet was too. The battle was won.

As all the clones celebrated around them, Alana felt Obi-Wan wrap his arm discreetly around her waist. She looked up at him to see him gazing at her, a look of concern on his face.

"What?" Alana demanded.

"Now that this is all over, promise me," Obi-Wan began, "Promise me you'll get that looked at," he said pointing to the gash on her face.

Alana rolled her eyes and swatted his stomach lightly.

"You'll have to take me there yourself," she replied.


	31. Temporary Reassignment

Obi-Wan escorted Alana down the hall towards the medical wing. It was bustling with droids and Kaminoan healers who were placing the clones into their bacta tanks and for those with less serious injuries were being stitched up and sent on their way.

When Alana arrived, she almost immediately spotted Commander Bash laying down on one of the cots, trying to sit up and argue with a droid.

"I'm alright. I don't need to be put in a tube to be healed!" He said.

"Sorry, sir, but your brain scans show a massive bleed, and if it doesn't lessen soon, you could lose all function on the right side of your body and then die," the droid replied bluntly. "You need to be moved to a bacta tank."

"Can't you just- fix it?" Bash demanded.

"Bash," Alana suddenly spoke up, making him aware of her presence in the room. He seemed to sit up a little straighter, beginning to realize that she was going to chew him out. "You need to listen to the droid. It knows what it's doing."

"I've never like droids," Bash muttered under his breath, giving a harsh glare in the general direction of the droid as it began to prep him for immediate placement in a bacta tank. He then turned back to Alana. "Are you sure you'll be alright? What about the men? And when do you believe we'll ship off again?"

"Bash, please," Alana said, shaking her head. "The 403rd won't be leaving without you."

Her words seemed to reassure him some, and he relaxed back down on the table. Alana watched as the droids helped him prepare for the bacta tank and then lead him down the hall towards where the facilities were.

"Alana," Obi-Wan said gently, letting his hand linger on her shoulder. "Come on, we have to make sure that you get looked at. There's nothing more you can do for him now."

Alana watched for another moment before turning away and sighing. She looked like she was about to speak, but before she could, she noticed another group of clones who were members of the 403rd waiting to be treated, and she made her way over to them, leaving Obi-Wan behind.

He watched her closely as she interacted with the soldiers, listening as she thanked them for serving alongside her during this battle. Obi-Wan admired the way that she treated the clones. They weren't just disposable clones, they were men. People. And they deserved to be treated as such.

Finally, after a few minutes of allowing her to speak with her men, Obi-Wan finally went and ushered her away from them and towards one of the medical droids that had just finished working on a clone.

"Excuse me," Obi-Wan said to the droid. It turned to them and noticed Alana's injury.

"Hello, if you seek medical attention, then I can be of service," the droid said.

"Yes, are you able to tend to her head injury?" Obi-Wan asked, motioning to Alana.

"Yes. Please come sit," the droid motioned to the table.

Alana went over and plopped down, her hand going up to touch her head injury, but before she could do so, the droid was already at work cleaning it up and then stitching it up.

Alana could see her reflection on one of the metal cabinets on the wall, and she frowned. As was typical with her these days, she looked like hell. Her hair was coming undone from its braid, dried blood matted to the hair on the side of her head. The gash from where she had cut her head came down the right her face. It added to her war-torn appearance, from a handful of scars from her time on Tatooine to the part of her ear that she had lost due to her fight with the Sith on Naboo. Her eyes then flickered up to where Obi-Wan stood, his back turned slightly away from her as he was watching the bustle of the medical facility.

Suddenly, Alana was getting signaled over her comlink. It was Shaak Ti.

She immediately answered it, Shaak Ti's hologram appearing on her arm.

"Alana!" Shaak Ti immediately said, seeing her friend being stitched up by a droid. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, thanks, Ti," Alana said. "It's just a scratch. What's going on?"

"The other members of the Council contacted us to let us know that there will be a Council meeting shortly. Can you find Kenobi and come to the communication tower once you're done getting yourself looked at?"

"Sure," Alana said. "See you soon."

She turned off her comlink and was about to open her mouth went suddenly a shock of pain pinched her head and she yelped. When she had moved, the droid had accidentally grabbed some of her good skin and pricked her hard.

"Please sit still," the droid said.

Alana pursed her lips, still smarting from the needle. The droid finished up a few stitched and then it was done. Alana thanked the droid before standing and noting the amused expression on Obi-Wan's face.

"What?" Alana asked. "I already know that I look disastrous," she said.

"No, no," Obi-Wan replied. "It's not that," he said.

"Well?" Alana asked.

"You always have a knack for getting caught up in things, don't you?" Obi-Wan asked.

"It's not my fault the Separatists decided that it would be a good time to attack Kamino!" Alana exclaimed.

"And what about Mon Cala?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Wrong place, wrong time."

"Geonosis?"

"That one was your fault!"

"It was not m-"

"It was! I only came to try and get to you before you walked into that nightmare of a trap."

"And that really worked out well for us didn't it?"

"I like to think it did," Alana said, lowering her voice seductively, alluding to the kiss that they had shared before their failed execution.

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes at her before they suddenly arrived at an area where a lot of bacta tanks were full, helping to quickly regenerate and heal the clones.

Alana's spirits sank as she noted the large number of the bacta tanks, and she pursed her lips. Each one held a person who had been injured because of their war. She searched for the bacta tank that contained Commander Bash, which she soon found.

"He wouldn't be injured if I had known the blast would happen. We were covering each other during the firefight, but the droid blasts sent us flying apart," she shook her head, her voice no longer filled with the happiness from moments before. "I almost couldn't spot him in the pile of rubble and bodies."

"It's your first time fighting on the ground since Geonosis, isn't it?" Obi-Wan asked, turning away from the tanks and looking at Alana.

Alana nodded, twisting her mouth into a quick frown as she watched more clones being placed into bacta tanks. "My unit has been mostly patrolling space. The only experience we've really gotten since then was when we were a part of the battle of Mon Cala," she said.

"Commander Bash did his duty as a soldier," Obi-Wan said, "And he did it well."

"I know he did. They all did, and because of that, some of them didn't make it," Alana replied. "I couldn't save the men as I did before. I watched them stumble and fall instead of protecting them. I should have been able to protect them."

"You can't save them all," Obi-Wan spoke.

"But I should be able to," Alana said, looking up to Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan pursed his lips. Alana wasn't thinking right. She was seeing through a veil of emotion and pain, not from a place of reason. He could sense that she had distanced herself from him in the Force, her usual bright and warm presence now distant and cold. Alana wiped her unshed tears and straightened up, putting on a tough front. She looked over at Obi-Wan, who was still watching her carefully.

"Let's just go," Alana said. "We have a meeting to get to, and I'm sure we're already late."

"Alana," Obi-Wan started, not wanting her to move on in this state.

"What, Obi-Wan?" Alana asked bitterly, taking out her anger on her husband.

Suddenly, Obi-Wan grabbed her by the arm and dragged her down the hallway and into one of the closets. The door slid shut behind them, and Obi-Wan crossed his arms and looked down at Alana who stared up at him defiantly.

"Do you hear yourself?" Obi-Wan asked, frowning.

"I'm not deaf, am I?" Alana retorted, crossing her arms.

Obi-Wan sighed and shook his head, uncrossing his arms as he looked at Alana. He could sense her trying to keep in her frustrations

"Alana, it's okay to be upset," he said, watching her try to hold back her tears. "It's ok to not be able to save everybody."

At his words, Alana stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him, her head resting on his shoulder, melting into his embrace and allowing herself to cry. Her silent sobs racked her body as she cried into his arms, allowing the emotional and physical pain to take over. Obi-Wan wrapped his arms around her and let her cry. After a few moments, her sobs became hiccups and then her hiccups led to silence, all while Obi-Wan stroked her hair, wanting desperately to comfort his wife.

"I can't keep letting this war and these battles get to me," Alana said, shaking her head.

"It's not just that, is it?" Obi-Wan asked. "There's something else. I can sense it."

Alana pursed her lips and pulled back from his embrace, her mind flashing to the memory she had had on board the cruiser, and she clenched her jaw. He was right. She was upset about losing troops, about nearly losing Obi-Wan when his starfighter had crashed, but that wasn't what was causing her to break down. There was so much more.

"I know what it is," she admitted. "But I don't know for sure."

"Talk to me about it," Obi-Wan said. "I can help."

"I'm not sure you can," Alana replied, looking down and her hands. "This is something in my past that I need to figure out for myself, my love."

As much as Obi-Wan hated that Alana wasn't sharing this part of her with him, he nodded. There were still things that he hadn't told her, and he knew that when the right time came, she would tell him what was going on.

"Promise me that you'll tell me if it gets worse. I want to help you," Obi-Wan said.

"Always," Alana said. "When the time is right and I know more about the situation, then you will be the first to know."

"Be careful, Lanie."

"Aren't I always?" Alana replied, a smile coming on her face.

Obi-Wan looked at her, raising an eyebrow and shaking his head.

"No, no you're not. You're just like your brother. Reckless, stubborn, and always getting injured and almost getting yourself killed," Obi-Wan replied, crossing his arms. "I'm beginning to think he gets it from you."

Alana feigned surprise and crossed her arms too.

"I am not a bad influence," Alana replied.

"Sure, my love."

Before Alana replied, Obi-Wan pressed his lips against hers, silencing any potential argument. They kissed for a moment, with Alana getting lost in her husband's kiss. When they finally broke apart, she was breathless and wordless, having unraveled at his touch. Obi-Wan smirked, realizing the effect he had had on her, and he turned to the door.

"I should do that more often," he said.

Before Alana responded, Obi-Wan opened the door and discreetly slipped out into the hallway, motioning for Alana to follow him a moment later, once the coast was clear.

"Master!" A voice said from behind them.

Alana whirled around, praying that they hadn't just gotten caught. Alana whirled around, her eyes wide until she realized that her Padawan had only just turned around the corner.

"Sylvan," Alana replied, quickly composing herself and smiling at Sylvan.

"I've been looking all over for you," she said. "Master Ti has been wondering where you've been. She said she couldn't contact you on the com system."

"Oh," Alana looked down at her armor, realizing that when she had ended the communications with Shaak Ti that she had actually turned off her comlink completely. "Well," she trailed off. "We're on our way to the communications tower right now."

"Well, you two look lost," Sylvan remarked. She pointed down the hall at where she had just come. "It's that way."

"Yes, of course," Alana replied. "We knew that."

"No, you didn't," Sylvan replied, crossing her arms and snickering.

"A little help here, Obi-Wan," Alana whispered, glancing at him as he watched the interaction between Alana and her Padawan.

"No, no, I think I'll stay out of this," he replied as they began to walk towards the communications tower. "This almost makes me miss having my own Padawan."

"Why don't you get a new one?" Sylvan asked. "Since you miss it so much?"

"Almost, young Sylvan. I said almost."

"I'm sure that before you know it, you'll have a new Padawan. After all, Anakin seems to have turned out pretty ok," Sylvan said.

"Of course," Obi-Wan said. "I did do a good job, didn't I?"

"Hey, mind you who helped teach him when he was little," Alana said, elbowing Obi-Wan. "And Anakin is a great Jedi of his own accord too."

"Sure, sure, of course," Obi-Wan acknowledged.

"You two never give the Padawan enough credit," Sylvan retorted. "When Anakin and I had that mission to protect Senator Amidala, he taught me a lot about security protocol and let me control how I wanted to keep her safe. He's a great Jedi."

Obi-Wan and Alana exchanged glances, both glad to see how much Sylvan appreciated Anakin, and also in awe of how mature Sylvan was becoming.

"I didn't realize you two were friends," Alana replied, deciding to continue egging Sylvan on a bit. "And last I remember, you weren't exactly the happiest upon your arrival on Tatooine."

"Ok, well, that was a little stupid and against the Council's orders, but I seem to remember seeing you there too, Master," Sylvan replied. "I wasn't so upset after that."

"Did the Council ever ask either of you two about your detour?" Obi-Wan asked as they rounded the corner to the communications tower.

"The Council doesn't need to know," Alana replied, shrugging her shoulders just as they rounded the corner to find Shaak Ti, Aayla Secura, Anakin, and the entirety of the Council in holographic form looking right at them.

"Know what, the Council does not?" Master Yoda spoke up, noting the newcomers' presence.

"Oh, the uh, exact casualties for each clone trooper and their designation," Sylvan said. "I was just asking, since Captain Rex, Commander Cody, and I just spent time with each of the companies."

"As much as we care about the wellbeing of the men, we don't need to know the details, young Sylvan. But thank you for your diligence," Master Windu said.

Alana took a deep breath and sighed with relief, flashing her Padawan a grateful glance before turning to the table and beginning to discuss with the others about the results of the battle of Kamino.

Shaak Ti led the discussion, as she was the permanent fixture on Kamino. As the Jedi whose main goal was to oversee the Kaminoan facility and the clones' training, she was privy to all the internal security information about the city.

After her debrief of the battle and the input from the other Jedi, all non-Council members were dismissed. The members of the Council spoke of the news in their sectors, ranging from the training of the Younglings to more battles to even the progression and development of the war within the politics of the Senate.

Alana listened intently, trying to gather as much information as possible about the state of the war and the Jedi Order itself. When it finally got around to Master Windu, she could sense the heaviness in his heart. He didn't like war, but he knew his duty to keep the peace, so he began to speak.

"Unfortunately, as much as I would like to give you all good news, there has been a new development," Master Windu said. "Sources have informed me that just this morning, Count Dooku's droid army seized control of major hyperspace lanes leading between Kamino and Coruscant. They're holding a major blockade on the planet of Chistophsis. As of right now, the Republic has no foot in the Outer Rim, and we need those lanes in order to keep the Separatists from Kamino."

"That does pose a difficult problem," Obi-Wan said from beside Alana. She looked over to see him stroking his beard, deep in thought. She let slip a tiny smile at the way he looked, but she quickly let it disappear.

"What about the droid attack of Chistophsis?" Master Ki-Adi Mundi asked.

"It is critical that we send an attack group there immediately. It's a system we cannot afford to lose," Master Windu said.

"But what ships and people do we have available?" Aayla Secura asked.

"We should send Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Alana. They and their troops should be able to handle it," Shaak Ti said.

"I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news," Alana said. "But I don't think my men are going to be able to handle going right back out here. Commander Bash is in bad shape, and according to what my Padawan said during the briefing, we're missing nearly half the battalion."

"Hm, that does pose a problem," Master Windu said.

"I would be willing to be temporarily reassigned to this mission. Once it's over, I can return to Kamino and meet back up with my men and continue to our next assignment," Alana suggested.

"That's a good idea. I'm sure we can use all the Jedi we can spare," Obi-Wan nodded.

"Then it's settled. You two, Anakin, and your Padawan will head for Chistophsis immediately. We will send whatever extra aerial assault craft and spacecraft we can to you," Master Plo spoke up.

"Yes, Masters," Obi-Wan and Alana both bowed.

The Council was quickly dismissed after that, and Alana turned to the other Jedi, saying goodbye. She stopped quickly in front of Shaak Ti, giving her friend a hug.

"Take care of my men," Alana said. "I'll be back to collect them soon."

"Of course, Lanie," Shaak Ti said. "May the Force be with you."

"May the Force be with you too, Ti," Alana replied, bowing to her friend and flashing her a warm smile. 

"I'll see you soon."


	32. The Voyage

Alana raced down the hall, her hand holding a bag that contained her supplies and additional clothes. Most of the clones and supplies needed for Christophsis had already been loaded onto the cruisers and assault ships, and Alana was running late.

When she arrived in the giant hangar that housed the ships, she noted that they were finishing up the loading, and Sylvan was perched on one of the boxes just inside the loading ramp of the cruiser, talking with Captain Rex and Anakin. Obi-Wan was standing at the bottom of the ramp holding a datapad and checking a few last-minute things with a handful of other clones.

Alana sighed. She was supposed to have been helping Obi-Wan with this task as soon as she had packed, but it had taken her too long to scrub the blood out of her hair, and in the process, she had ripped a few of the stitches out and been forced to return to the medical wing, where a rather cross droid had cleaned and sewn her back up and sent her on her way.

"Alana," Obi-Wan said, stepping away from the group of clones. "Where were you?" He asked.

"Oh, please don't ask me that," Alana replied, scrunching up her nose, embarrassed about the fact that she had only made it two hours having her stitches put in before ripping them out accidentally. She noted Obi-Wan's eyebrow raise, and she rolled her eyes. "Fine, but if you swear not to tell my Padawan-"

"I won't."

"Good. I was in the shower-"

"Did you fall again?" Obi-Wan smirked.

"No! And I have never fallen in the shower for your information," Alana added.

"Mhm," Obi-Wan replied, enjoying seeing how flustered Alana was getting.

"You didn't even let me finish," Alana continued as they made their way up the ramp behind the last of the supplies. "I was scrubbing the blood out of my hair, and I accidentally scrubbed right over the stitched and ripped a few of them out. Needless to say, the droid wasn't very happy to see me back this time."

"You-" Obi-Wan was desperately trying to choke down his laughter as they reached the top of the ramp. "You were nearly an hour late because you scrubbed your stitches right off your head? Didn't that hurt?" Obi-Wan asked.

Before Alana could reply, she could hear Sylvan laugh loudly from the other side of the ramp. She whirled to see Sylvan peeking over at her and Obi-Wan from behind Anakin. Even though they were pretty far away from each other, Alana had forgotten how well Sylvan could hear. This was the only time that Alana wished her Padawan wasn't a Cathar.

"If you speak a word of this to anyone-" Alana threatened jokingly, just loud enough for Sylvan to hear.

As soon as she said that, the ramp began to be raised upward, and the hangar door was shut behind them. Alana and Obi-Wan made their way over to Anakin, Sylvan, and Captain Rex before heading to the lift that would take them up to the bridge.

Once they arrived on the bridge, they were greeted by Admiral Yularen, the admiral of Anakin's flagship cruiser. From the looks that were exchanged between the two of them, the admiral and Anakin's relationship appeared to mirror the one between Admiral Ivanov of Alana's flagship cruiser.

"Generals," the admiral acknowledged Obi-Wan and Anakin. His head nod towards Obi-Wan seemed much more sincere than the one directed at Anakin.

"Oh, Admiral, this is Jedi General Alana Skywalker, Anakin's sister, and her Padawan, Sylvan Poreth," Obi-Wan introduced.

Alana gave the Admiral a cordial nod and a warm smile, trying desperately to separate herself from whatever dislike he had for Anakin. He scanned her up and down before giving her a curt nod.

"Welcome on board," he said. "We will be out of the atmosphere in the next half hour, and we will arrive at Christophsis in approximately five hours. I can only hope that you have a plan for us by then," he said.

"We will, Admiral," Anakin replied. "Don't you worry."

"I am worried. Especially if it turns out to be your plan," Admiral Yularen said.

Before Anakin had the chance to respond, the admiral turned back to his post, leaving them to go to the communications and battle plans station, where Commander Cody was already working on some plans. Alana glanced at her brother, whose eyes were furrowed with frustration at how he was being treated.

"How's it coming?" Sylvan piped up as they arrived at the station, where Cody was looking over the location and intel that they had gotten on the Separatist forces.

"We have a rough plan, sir, but you'll have to see for yourselves just exactly how rough it is," Cody said, pushing a button that brought up a battle plan. He waited for a moment to allow the Jedi and Captain Rex to read through the plan on their own before explaining it.

"Once we drop out of hyperspeed, Admiral Yularen will be conducting the battle from the air. We will need to be loaded onto gunships and prepare to land on the surface as soon as there is a clear path between us and the Separatist fleet."

"Cody, how long do you think it will take for the Admiral to take out the Separatist blockade around Christophsis?" Obi-Wan asked.

"Unfortunately, I'm not sure. We're going into this battle nearly completely blind, sir," Cody replied. "All I know for sure is that this won't be an easy battle. That's why we'll need reinforcements at the ready, and we have to be prepared that any call for help may not be heard by the Council or any of the Republic."

"That is most unfortunate," Obi-Wan replied.

"Senator Bail Organa is currently on the surface. He was sent to the ground on a mercy mission from the Senate. We will have to go and reinforce and fortify his position first. Hopefully, he can provide us with a better analysis of the happenings on the ground," Commander Cody said. "As far as we know, he is located in the forward command in the middle of this city here," he pointed to a concealed location in the middle of the city before continuing his briefing.

"So once Admiral Yularen clears a path to the surface, the gunships will move quickly, heading for Senator Organa's position. Hopefully, once we clear the blockade, there won't be any communication barriers and we'll be able to contact the Senator to inform him of our arrival and get a better look at his position. Once we arrive, we'll unload quickly. Be prepared to be in a combat zone. Since we don't know much of the situation, we'll have to be ready for anything."

"Do we at least have any idea who's leading the Separatist forces?" Alana spoke up.

"As I said, sir, we're going into this assignment blind. I would like to know, but unfortunately, we haven't been able to get any additional information since the initial report."

"Is there anything else we should know?" Anakin asked.

"No, sir, that's all I have," Commander Cody replied, glancing quickly at Obi-Wan, who was looking over and over at the plans, a stoic expression on his face, despite his inner concerns.

Obi-Wan looked up and around at the group before speaking.

"Alright. It seems that we'll have to rely on each other heavily for this mission. Why don't we all get situated, and we'll regroup of the bridge for a large debrief in 2 hours. Use this time to rest and prepare for the battle."

The group quickly disbanded, with everyone heading their own way. Alana remained behind with Obi-Wan. She could sense her Padawan lingering behind her, waiting for further instruction from her Master. Alana turned to Sylvan and spoke.

"Go, get some rest. And this time, instead of studying battle plans, you should focus on sleeping, for both your sake and mine," Alana said.

"Yes, Master," Sylvan replied before bolting out of the room.

As soon as she was off the bridge, Alana turned to Obi-Wan, who was frustratingly still staring at the battle plans, the tension and stress becoming evident in his posture.

"What is it?" Alana asked, coming to stand beside him.

"I'm not sure," Obi-Wan shook his head. "But part of me has a bad feeling about this."

"Come with me, there's no more planning that we can do now," Alana said. "You should try to get some rest."

Obi-Wan shook his head, turning back to the battle plans and sighing, his voice quieting as he spoke so that only she could hear him.

"I'm sorry, my love, but I won't be able to rest. You go on. I'm going to stay here and review these plans. Hopefully, I can find more information about the situation on Christophsis in that time."

"But Obi," Alana whispered, placing her hand discreetly on his arm. "You've gone over them at least a dozen times. There's nothing more to be done."

"Please, Lanie," Obi-Wan said, looking down at her. "Leave me to do this."

Alana pursed her lips, slightly frustrated that he was turning down a few moments to be alone with one another, but she could sense the turmoil in his heart, and how he was frustrated and not at ease. She nodded and squeezed his arm gently before turning and walking towards the lift.

She made her way to her temporary quarters from the bridge and dropped off her things. She laid down for a few moments, trying to quiet herself and rest, but her mind was elsewhere, filled with the anticipation of the battle and Obi-Wan's uncertainty.

She sighed, sitting up from her bed and looking around her room. It wasn't much, but she was beginning to get used to living on the cruisers. She stood and walked in circles around her room, twirling the necklace and her wedding ring around her hand, while examining the room.

Finally, Alana had had enough. She made her way out of her room and down the hall to explore the unfamiliar ship, only for her to wind up in another deserted hall. She frowned, as it wasn't typical for these areas of the ship to be so deserted.

The lights were dim, and she began to sense the cold. She clenched her jaw. The last time that she had felt cold like this was when she had had her memory of Count Dooku.

"I'm not doing this," Alana said out loud. "Not now."

The cold only grew colder, and the silence was so intense that Alana could her heart begin to beat faster and faster. She continued down the deserted hallway even more cautiously this time, and when she rounded the corner, she froze at what she saw.

A man in the black robes was turned, facing away from her. She clenched her jaw.

"Now now, my child, don't be hasty," he said, turning to face her. He was shrouded, just like the count had been when he had appeared to her

Alana frowned, as the voice didn't sound like the Count's voice. She reached out through the Force, trying to search and find out who this new person was. His presence in the Force was completely obscured from her as if it wasn't even there. She had always been able to sense when someone was nearby, but she felt absolutely nothing from him. It terrified her.

Alana stumbled back slightly at this nothingness, and she nearly fell to the ground.

"It seems that you do not know me," the man said, stepping towards her. Alana could feel him scanning her, even if she could not see his face. "I haven't been taking as great an interest in you as it appears I should have been."

Alana stood, glued to her spot on the floor, her eyes flickering around the room, screaming internally for help.

"You know, the Count was trying to take credit for my work," the man said as the two of them began to circle around each other cautiously in the hallway. "Your parents, that wasn't his doing. That was mine."

Alana frowned. She was spinning with confusion.

"Your father betrayed me, so I did what had to be done. With your father gone, your mother out of the way, I only realized that I was too late to get you, that is, until the Count brought you to me," the man said. "Only then did I realize how strong you could be."

"I don't know you. I don't know the Count," Alana balked, refusing to cooperate. She didn't want to admit that she was vulnerable due to the loss of her memory. "I am a Jedi. I always have been, even when I left the Temple."

"Do you want to know the truth?" The man asked, his voice full of malice. "I can show you the truth."

Alana clenched her jaw. Everything in her body was screaming at her to run away, to cry for help, but she wanted to know. She was tired of not knowing, of being filled with anger and confusion. She wanted the truth. She had always sought out knowledge, filling her time with the acquisition of knowledge, and being in the dark about her past was killing her.

As if he sensed her need, the man chuckled.

"I will show you the truth."

Suddenly, Alana was transported to a different place, her mind beginning to run through images so quickly that she could barely keep up.

The images were so clear and so vivid, that it felt as if she had stepped into her own past.

They were images of her childhood, before she was taken to the Temple, images of the death of her father and her mother's enslavement. Images raced by of her training, every moment with friends with her Master. Then to the moment where she had gone to the archives and begun her search into the ways of the Sith and her eventual expulsion from the Jedi Order.

All of these memories, she recognized and recalled, each one a true and genuine memory. But then the images turned. They went from warm and familiar to cold and dark. She frowned as she watched her younger self strike down a mother who was protecting her child. Alana's eyes were no longer the blue that she recognized, but a shining yellow. She watched herself kneel before the Count and the man in the cloak, extending a shining red lightsaber out in allegiance.

She watched as people cried out to her, pleading for mercy, but all she gave them was death. All the while, her younger self smiled at the deliverance and justice she was giving them. Alana watched as her younger self arrived on Tatooine, but she had seen enough. She didn't want to see any more.

"STOP!" She yelled. "Get out of my head!!"

Alana blinked and was back in the hallway on the cruiser, stumbling backward from shock.

The man in black watched as Alana fell to her knees, shaking in anger at herself and in tears. In a matter of seconds, she had watched half of her life flash in front of her eyes, and she was overwhelmed.

"So now you see the truth?" The man asked.

"No. It is not the truth. You are putting delusions into my head," Alana replied, tears streaming down her face as she looked up at him. Even though she knew, somehow in her heart, that it was true. The memories were genuine and real, no matter how much she wanted to deny them.

"It is most unfortunate that you do not remember these things," the man said. "But now I can help you. I know what it is that you desire the most. Knowledge and understanding. When the time comes, and you are left in the dark by the other members of the Council, when they plan behind your back, when they do not listen to you, come to me and know that I will always tell you the truth."

"I'll never come to you," Alana spat, rising from her position on the ground. "I promise you that."

"We shall see, my dear. We shall see."

Suddenly, the man was gone, and Alana was left in the middle of the hallway, trembling from the cold and from the terror of her past. She was so lost in her mind that she didn't feel Obi-Wan's presence approaching her until he touched her, and she recoiled from his touch.

"Don't touch me," she said, spinning and looking up at him. "Please."

She watched his face turn from one of concern to one of confusion. He had sensed her distress while reviewing the battle plans and had immediately gone in search of her. Finding her trembling figure alone in a hallway gave him cause for concern.

"What is it, Alana?"

"I can't," she replied, stepping away from him. Her mind was filled with the image of her younger self's smile, the glowing yellow eyes shining with the hope of deliverance.

"Don't shut me out," he replied, shaking his head.

"I have to," Alana replied, unable to meet his eyes with hers. "Please, just, go back to your plans."

"I'm not-"

"Go," Alana ordered almost immediately, looking up at him, clenching her jaw.

Obi-Wan pursed his lips, feeling almost as if he was dealing with an unruly Anakin, wanting to discipline her, but she was his wife, not his Padawan. He nodded, unable to speak and turned away from her, despite every bone in his body telling him not to.

It took all of his Jedi training to walk away from her, using every ounce of patience he had to let her figure out whatever was going on by herself. She would come to him when she was ready.

Little did he know how long it would take.


	33. Before the Battle

Alana stood in her quarters, pacing back and forth, watching out the small window as the ship traveled through hyperspace. She was wide awake, her mind traveling as fast as the ship. She had tried to meditate for a while, but each time she closed her eyes, the images that had been revealed by the man in black flashed through her mind, forcing her back to the present.

After some time spent in her room, she realized that it was time for the debrief with the soldiers, so Alana reluctantly made her way down from her room to where everyone had gathered. She slipped silently inside the room, but instead of going to the front where the others had gathered, she stayed in the back, not wanting to draw attention to herself.

Unfortunately, as soon as she entered the room, her stormy presence in the Force alerted the other Jedi to her arrival. Sylvan's ears perked up as she scanned the room for her Master. Obi-Wan's eyes immediately landed on hers, noting the disinterested look on Alana's face as she sullenly stood behind all the soldiers. Anakin too noted the look on Alana's face, but instead of trying to change her mood as Obi-Wan had, he reached out to her, letting her know that no matter what had happened, he understood.

At his reaction to her mood, Alana looked up and met her brother's eyes. Anakin nodded his head to her, accepting the fact that she was not ready to stand in front of the group of soldiers. He could feel the conflict within her, just as he felt it in himself.

Alana watched as Anakin leaned over to Obi-Wan and spoke quietly with him before they began the debrief.

It wasn't long before they had finished, with Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Commander Cody taking the lead in explaining the strategy and events. Once they had finished, the troops were dismissed, and they were sent to their stations to prepare for battle and to await further instructions.

As the troops filtered out, Sylvan began to make her way over to Alana for instruction, but before she could get too far, Anakin stopped her. He whispered a few things in her ear, which Alana could not hear. As he spoke with her, Sylvan's eyes flickered over to where Alana stood, leaned up against the wall beside the door, but she nodded and turned away, exiting the room per Anakin's request.

Obi-Wan could barely look his wife in the eyes, as he could still sense that she was shutting him out. He scanned her before exchanging a quick word with Anakin. As Obi-Wan headed for the exit, he found himself hesitating at the door. He wanted to hold her, to tell her that she could confide in him, but he knew that she wasn't ready. He looked over at her and pursed his lips at her sullen expression staring down at the floor. He was so close to Alana, but she seemed so far away.

"I'll be on the bridge," he said, seemingly to himself. But it was loud enough so that Alana could hear him. She looked up, meeting his eyes before he disappeared from the room, leaving Alana alone beside the door, her brother the only other person left.

"Lanie," Anakin spoke, drawing her attention away from the empty space where Obi-Wan had stood moments ago.

When they looked at each other in the eyes, Anakin felt the walls around her fall, a wave of emotions crashing over Alana. Fear, worry, anger, confusion, distress, sadness. It was consuming her whole mind.

"What is it?" Anakin asked, sensing the strong tidal wave of emotions flooding her mind.

"I- I can't," Alana shook her head. "I can't tell you."

"You're my only family, Lanie," Anakin said. "I trust you with my life. Why can't you trust me?"

"Because it has shaken my own faith and my commitment to the Order," Alana shook her head, rubbing her forehead.

Anakin stood there, his eyes scanning her. He had always looked up to Alana, even if he didn't want to admit it. She had always taken care of him and Shmi. Even when he had been angry with her for leaving him on Tatooine in order to help Obi-Wan, Anakin had still loved her.

"Does it have to do with Obi-Wan?" He asked, his mind flickering to the stolen glances that he had caught between the two of them. It was similar to what he experienced with Padme. If he didn't know his master better, he would have thought they were also secretly married.

"What?" Alana asked abruptly, startled by his question. Her mind was flooded with confusion. Did he know? She studied his face just as he studied hers. Anakin noted the fear that had gripped her heart when he had mentioned his former master. Her reaction startled Anakin, and he frowned. Maybe he didn't know his master or his sister as well as he thought. What was she hiding from him?

"You've always cared for him," Anakin started, trying to lure the truth out of her mind. "What have you done?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Alana balked. She had made a promise to Obi-Wan to never tell anyone about them. Not even Anakin could know, no matter how much she longed to tell him.

Anakin frowned, noting that Alana had begun to shut him out. He could no longer read her as well as he had only a moment ago. He felt anger bubbling up inside him. Why didn't she want his help? Did she think he couldn't help her?

"If it doesn't have to do with him, then why are you only now shutting me out? Let me help you!"

"I don't need your help," Alana said, feeling anger bubble up inside her. She hated lying to him. She hated that Obi-Wan was making her lie to him. She hated that Anakin was pushing her to tell him. She hated it all. "I need to be alone."

"I can help you, Lanie, plea-"

"You're not a Jedi Master, Anakin. You're just my brother. You can't help me."

The moment the words left her mouth, all her anger and hate dissipated. Her eyes flashed over to Anakin, knowing that her words had hurt him. She hadn't meant for this to happen. She hadn't meant to say that. 

His eyes watered slightly at her words before a glazed and emotionless expression filled his face. She didn't believe he could help her. He wasn't strong enough. He hadn't saved his mom, so how could he save his only sister?

"I see," he said stiffly. "I will leave you, then, Master," he used her formal title, the word like venom spitting out of his mouth.

"Anakin, wait," Alana said, grabbing his arm, keeping him from leaving the room. "Please, I'm sorry, I didn't mean those words. My words mean nothing, my mind and judgment are clouded."

"It doesn't matter. You still said them," Anakin said, shaking her hand off of his arm before looking her in the eyes. What she had said was true. He needed to be stronger like he had promised his mother he would be. Whatever was going on with Alana, he would find the truth, and he would make her happy once again. "I will find the truth, Alana. I will help you."

And with that, he walked away, leaving Alana alone in the debrief room. She placed her back against the wall and slid down, hiding her face in her knees, tears filling her eyes. She breathlessly began to sob, choking on her own tears.

She was lost. So entirely lost.

When she was little, her training in the Jedi Order had been her whole life. She loved knowing things and learning things. Her friends joked that she got in trouble just so she could spend more time in the library. The Jedi had been her whole life. She had nearly completely forgotten her parents. She had been sure of her commitment to the light side.

But when she had been forced out of the Order simply for reading Sith texts that she had discovered, she had lost her way, more than Alana could ever have imagined. The memories that the man in the black had shown her were true, despite the screaming denial she felt in her head. She had murdered hundreds of innocent people, she had gleefully cut down women and children with no mercy. She had sneered at those who begged for mercy. And for what? Alana still had no idea. The man had not revealed to her the reason for going to Tatooine to find her mother or her brother. Much of that was still murky, but she knew that she had been sure of her commitment to the dark side.

After that, her life on Tatooine had been tough. She used her powers to help win fights, to keep her family alive and healthy. They had had plenty of food on the table because of her. There, the pull between the dark and the light had faded. There, she had been sure of her commitment to her family and to using the Force to survive.

When Master Qui-Gon had landed on Tatooine, Alana had felt the pull to the light. Her heart and mind had been closed off for so long, that she had forgotten its warmth. At first, she had hesitated, unaccustomed to the kindness that he had shown both her and Anakin. And Obi-Wan. Oh, Obi-Wan. When Alana had first seen him, she had only glimpsed him in the crowd as she had been fighting. His presence had distracted her that she had nearly lost that fight. The Force around him had drawn her in. The calmness, the wisdom, the sweetness that he had radiated, even as a Padawan had shocked her. When she had arrived back to Coruscant and continued her training, she had been sure of her commitment to the Jedi.

But now, she wasn't sure of anything. She had committed to the Order, but her past commitment to the dark side had betrayed that. She knew of her commitment to Sylvan, but she had failed her Padawan time and time again. She had committed to protecting and watching over Anakin, but instead, she had turned him away. She had committed to Obi-Wan as his wife, but now she had secrets to keep from him.

"I don't know," Alana whispered, looking up from her knees, pressing the back of her head to the wall, wiping the tears from her face. She looked to the ceiling as if expecting an answer. "What do you want from me?" She whispered, willing someone to appear and tell her.

But all that answered her was a wall of silence.

Finally, after Alana sat there for some time, she took a deep breath. No matter how uncertain she was about her past, she knew that her duty was to follow the orders that the Council had agreed upon. She would help Obi-Wan and Anakin retake the planet of Christophsis.

The best way to make that go smoothly would be to try and reconcile with Obi-Wan and Anakin first. She sighed and stood, running through what she would say to them in her mind. She made her way to the bridge, knowing that she would be able to find at least her husband there.

As the doors slid open to the turbolift, she stepped in, nodding to a handful of troopers who were also on their way to the bridge. They pulled to attention as she made her way inside, but she waved them off.

"No need for that, troopers, save your energy," she said. She could sense them relaxing, and they began to speak quietly amongst themselves. She barely listened to their light chatter until they reached the bridge. The door slid open and Alana stepped out onto the bridge. It was mostly quiet, with a few bridge crew talking to each other and adjusting the course and angle of the ship as it sped along in space.

Alana noticed Admiral Yularen at the side of the ship, talking with a few other officers, while Alana spotted both Anakin and Obi-Wan standing at the front of the ship, both silently looking out into space. She could sense their thoughts, with Anakin's drifting to someone back on Coruscant, his mind filled with affection for them. Alana shook her head as she knew exactly who that brunette Senator was.

Instead of focusing on her brother's thoughts, she turned to Obi-Wan. His were centered and focused on the task at hand, but there was something hidden behind that focus that caused Alana to purse her lips. He was worried.

Alana reached them both, knowing that they had sensed her arrival before she had even stepped foot on the bridge.

"Hi," she said softly, stepping up beside Anakin. She looked up at her brother and then over at Obi-Wan. "Anakin can I-"

"I'm sorry," Anakin suddenly spoke out. He shook his head before turning and meeting her eyes. His mood had changed drastically from only a few moments ago. Alana frowned for a second before he continued. "I shouldn't have pushed you like I did earlier. And I'm sorry."

Alana hesitated for a moment, surprised at the sudden change in mood and attitude towards her, but she was grateful for it, and she accepted his apology. She also offered him one of her own.

"No, Ani, you're right. I'm sorry too. I'm just confused right now, that's all. But it's no excuse for what I said. What I said was full of malice and jealousy of who you're destined to be, and how strong and confident you are now. I do respect you. And I value your help. Will you forgive me?" She asked, her eyes unwavering as she looked up at her brother.

Anakin grabbed her hand with his and gave it a squeeze, a half-smile touching his face, something dark still shrouded behind his eyes. Alana only felt it for a split second, but suddenly it was gone, replaced with warmth and kindness. She must have been seeing things.

"Always, Lanie," he replied before letting her hand go. Anakin looked over at Obi-Wan, sensing that he wanted to speak to Alana alone. "I'll be down in the hangar. We reach Christophsis in a half-hour."

"We'll catch up," Alana said, flashing her brother a smile before he turned and walked away. Alana watched him go for a moment before turning back and looking at the stars as they flew by. There was a moment of silence before Alana spoke.

"It's beautiful," she whispered, only loud enough for Obi-Wan to hear.

"And cold," he replied, looking down at her. "What aren't you telling me?"

Alana could not meet his eyes. "I'm lost," she said quietly, her head falling to look at her feet instead of anything else. She could feel tears beginning to sting her eyes. "I feel like I'm being pulled a million different directions, and I am worried."

"What can I do?" Obi-Wan asked, his voice yearning to help her.

"Tell me you love me," Alana whispered, her voice dropping even quieter than it had already been. She moved her eyes to meet his. "Because then I can at least lean on something that I know is true."

"Alana," Obi-Wan whispered, his eyes darting around to make sure that no one was listening in.

"Please," Alana asked, her heart pounding in her chest, willing him to say the words he had already said a hundred times to her these past few months.

"I love you," Obi-Wan said, barely audible over the sound of Alana's heavy breaths. "And I will never stop. Don't you forget that" he said, his hand reaching over and brushing hers discreetly. He didn't want to bring attention to them in the bridge full of people.

"I won't," Alana said, smiling up at him before turning to the stars.

"We should get going," Obi-Wan said, his voice returning to normal volume. "Don't want to make your brother wait too long."

"Of course," Alana said, and the two of them turned, making their way back to the turbolift. When they stepped inside, Alana quickly called Sylvan to make sure her Padawan was in the hangar.

When they arrived, the hangar was busy with hundreds of men loading up the gunships, waiting near their assigned transports for further instructions. Anakin and Sylvan were busy talking with Commander Cody and Captain Rex when they noticed Alana and Obi-Wan approaching.

"Nice of you to finally join us," Sylvan said, crossing her arms over her chest, searching for her Master's typically playful response.

"I would have been earlier had I not had to fetch Obi-Wan from the bridge," Alana replied, eyeing Obi-Wan, who raised an eyebrow, happy to see Alana back in good cheer.

"You're blaming me?" Obi-Wan replied, stroking his beard. "Don't throw me under the speeder this time, Alana."

Alana shook her head and let out a light chuckle. She could feel the tension in the air dissipate as everyone seemed in good spirits. They were well prepared to fight the Separatists and the droid army.

Suddenly, they got a communication from the bridge.

"We're dropping out of hyperspace ahead of schedule. Have your men ready!" Admiral Yularen's voice came in.

"Alright, boys, its time to load up," Commander Cody said, turning to his men and motioning for them to board their gunships.

Alana watched as the troopers all got in the dozens of gunships scattered throughout the hangar, their armor glistening against the lights. She watched the doors slid shut, and she turned to see two open gunships, waiting for the Jedi to board. Sylvan was already perched on the far ship with a handful of other clones. Anakin, Rex, and Cody had already jumped into the nearest one.

Suddenly, she felt the cruiser fall out of hyperspace, and the Admiral made another communications link to the commanders and to the Jedi.

"We're coming into orbit around the planet. There are only a handful of Separatist ships. We'll make quick work of them. In fact, there's already a gap in the north quadrant that the gunships will be able to pass through. I'm sending the coordinates to the clones now."

Alana turned to Obi-Wan and flashed him a quick smile as Admiral Yularen's face faded, ending the communication.

"I'll race you to the ground," she winked before making her way over to where Sylvan was standing in their gunship.

"If you do happen to beat me, my dear, please do leave some droids for Anakin and I," Obi-Wan replied as Alana got inside her gunship. "I'd hate to miss all the fun."

"We'll try to, but no promises," she said, watching as the doors slid shut, and Obi-Wan's smirking face was hidden from view.

"We're not actually going to leave them any, are we?" Sylvan's voice piped up from beside her. 

Alana turned to her apprentice and flashed her a cheeky smile as the gunships took off into the planet's atmosphere.

"No, no," she replied. "Why in the blazes would we do that?"


	34. Crash Landing

It was not a long trip to the ground. They were fortunate that the Separatist blockade was unable to get to the gunships as they lowered down to the surface. Alana noted the look of anticipation on her Padawan's face as they neared the ground and the sounds of blaster shots filled their ears.

"Clear your mind, Sylvan! Do not get ahead of yourself!" Alana called over the fire below them.

Before she could respond, Alana suddenly felt the ship begin to spiral.

"General, we've been hit!" called a voice from the cockpit.

"Put her down!" Alana yelled to the clone before turning to the rest of the men. "Hold on!"

Within seconds, there was a loud noise, and they were nearly knocked to the ground. Alana felt as though someone had thrown a brick at her, and the wind was knocked out of her as she lost her grip and went tumbling to the ground, well, the wall of the gunship.

"Ugh," she groaned as everything around her began to spin. She lifted her hand and touched the injury on her face. Pulling her hand back, there was a smattering of blood and she groaned in frustration. "This is the second time," she muttered as she adjusted herself to look around the gunship. Everyone appeared to be alright, the clones were just beginning to stand and try to open the doors of the ship.

"Master Kenobi is not going to be happy with that," Sylvan's voice came from beside her.

Alana swung to see her Padawan was sprawled on the wall beside her, trying to get to a better position to stand.

"He seemed impressed that you had to get stitched up a second time. Now imagine what he'll have to say when he sees you need a third set of stitches," Sylvan laughed lightly as she stood and dusted herself off. She held out her hand and pulled Alana off the floor.

Alana rolled her eyes and wiped the blood from her hands before turning to where the clones were just managing to open the door.

"Wait," Alana said. "Everyone- be quiet!" she said, listening for the sounds outside of the ship.

They all fell silent, listening to the sounds around them. It sounded as though an enemy was marching right around them. Alana could faintly hear whirring and blaster shots, but it did not sound as though they were in friendly territory.

"We must have been shot down in the middle of enemy territory," she whispered, turning to look at the pilot, but he was still in his seat. Alana frowned and moved over to him and taking his pulse. She could not find one and she clenched her jaw. The way he was sitting, the blood smattered across his face, it reminded her of something.

Her mind flashed suddenly to the image of another dead man, laying in a cockpit just as the clone did, blood smattering his face. Only this time, Alana was the one holding the rock that had smashed in his head. 

Alana shook herself from her thoughts and stumbled backward, the unfamiliar memory making her shudder.

"What is it, Master?" Sylvan asked, approaching cautiously. She had noticed the shift in Alana's mood.

"We need to get back to Anakin and Obi-Wan," Alana replied, trying to shake the memory away. She could sense Sylvan trying to pry her feelings and emotions, but she quickly shut her mind off from her Padawan. She could not afford to have an unstable mind, nor a distracted and worried Padawan. Not in the middle of a battlefield. Alana moved away from the dead clone, and Sylvan peered at him, her ears drooping down when she realized what had happened to him.

Alana leaned up against the wall as the clones continued to pry the door open together. She reached up and touched the blood that she could feel dripping down her face, and she took a deep breath. Her mind was not focused. She closed her eyes and took three deep breaths in order to recenter herself, just as Master Windu had taught her when she was still a young Padawan. She could still sense Sylvan's unease at her Master's apparent distraction, and when she opened her eyes, she found Sylvan staring right at her. 

Instead of saying anything, Alana raised her arm and opened the communication channel to try and reach Anakin and Obi-Wan, but nothing was working. Their signal was cut off.

"Looks like we're on our own, boys," she said to the clones, but her eyes were still on Sylvan, who was beginning to doubt the safety of their situation. "Let's get going. Be quiet, and stay out of sight."

"Yes, General," the clones replied.

"But, Master, how can we get to them? We're trapped here, behind the enemy lines with no communication and no clue as to how we can get back," Sylvan spoke, voicing her concerns. She was scared. 

Alana sighed. By demonstrating her own weakness, she had made Sylvan falter and question both herself and Alana. 

"We will find a way, Sylvan," Alana said. "You need to be focused. Do not let fear control you. You have your training and your knowledge. It will not fail you."

Sylvan did not appear too comforted by Alana's words. She clenched her jaw, nodded, and looked away from Alana.

With that, Alana slipped out of the small opening in the door, immediately taking in the sights and sounds around her. They had crashed in the middle of a long bridge of some kind. She peered around, noting the distance between them and the front lines. It was only a mile or so away, and the explosions were quite close. They were trapped. She tried to radio Anakin and Obi-Wan again, but there was still no response. She was about to wave everyone else out of the wreck, but she noticed a platoon of droids heading her way to come scout out the damage.

"There's a platoon on its way," she said. "They haven't noticed me y-"

"Hey! There's a survivor!" One of the droids said, pointing towards her.

"Looks like a Jedi!"

"Shoot them!"

"Oh you've got to be kidding me," Alana said, pulling out her lightsaber and igniting it. She deflected a handful of blasts, but she wasn't able to quite hit the droids. "A little help out here!" Alana called to the gunship behind her.

Suddenly, the clones were out around her, blasting back at the droids. The fight was quick, with the clones and the Jedi quickly dispatching the droids and solidifying their position.

Once the droids had been either shot or cut down, Alana surveyed their position again, only this time, their horizon was filled with even more droids, heading directly towards them on the bridge.

"You have got to be shitting me," she muttered. She looked around the place, searching for a more defensible position. She spotted a couple of emptied buildings a mile out, and she waved to the men. "We need to retreat to those buildings!"

She watched as the clones turned and raced down the bridge to the buildings, with Alana using her lightsaber to deflect the blasts and protect the men on their retreat. Soon enough, they managed to get out of the firing range of the droids, but Alana knew it was not for long. She ran, hoping that they were getting closer to friendly lines, but she did not know

Once they reached the area, Alana found herself peering out and watching the battalion of battle broids headed their way. They had managed to get out of range of fire, but it was only minutes until they would be fired upon again.

"There are too many of them," one of the men said.

"I'm thinking," Alana said, rubbing her forehead in frustration. She scanned the clearing between the buildings where the droids were marching. They did not appear to be deviating from their path, heading directly for the building where Alana and the others were hidden.

"Master-"

"Not now, Sylvan," Alana frowned.

"No, Master-"

"Sylvan."

"Master!" Sylvan's elevated voice caused her to look sharply over at her Padawan. Sylvan was standing just behind Alana, her back facing the army of droids that walked towards them, and she pointed out of the building to where, not more than a few hundred yards, another group of clones were hiding.

Alana narrowed her eyes and looked at them closely before realizing that there were many more of them than there were of the droids heading towards them.

"That must be part of our attack force," Alana said, "we must have reached the front lines," she looked around, scouring among the men for sight of Obi-Wan or Anakin, but she could not see them. She lifted her arm to radio, but suddenly the men broke out from their hiding and began to fire on the Separatist troops. Their attack had begun.

"We fall in with them!!" Alana called to the five men still at her side. She looked to Sylvan and nodded. They worked their way back towards the droids, pushing through the middle, trying to get behind the forces.

Alana found more and more clones at her side, but still she could not see the other Jedi. She fought for a moment before realizing they had reached around the back of the Separatist droid army.

"We have them surrounded!" Alana called, seeing more clones in front of the droids. "Be careful where you shoot!" She said. She was scanning the other side for Kenobi, but all she could see was droids.

Suddenly, there was a lightsaber crash behind her, and Alana turned to see Obi-Wan slicing through the droids.

"I was beginning to wonder if you would be joining us," he said, a smile on his face.

"We had some problems of our own back there," Alana shook her head, but she was relieved that Obi-Wan was okay. She suddenly felt herself smile, thinking of her joke before they had left the cruiser. "I see you left us plenty of droids," she sliced a droid.

"It's not my fault you didn't get down here before us," Obi-Wan replied. Alana felt herself easing and relaxing more as she fought. Fighting with him at her side was like no other. She felt invincible.

They fought for a few more moments before they had managed to clear out the droids near them. It gave the two of them a few moments of peace, in which Obi-Wan noted the dried blood from her head wound. He frowned and scanned the rest of her for injuries.

"I should have never let you come into battle with a fresh wound like that," he said, shaking his head.

"Let me come into battle?" Alana replied, raising an eyebrow. "I can make decisions for myself, you know," she noted the look on his face and sighed. "I'll be fine, it's just a little blood."

"I would not call that a little blood, my dear," Obi-Wan replied, also raising his eyebrow at her.

It was a sight to see, the Jedi Masters standing and facing each other, both with expressions of mixed disbelief and concern. Alana wanted to smack him just slightly for trying to blame 

"Hey, Masters! A little help over here!" Sylvan's voice drew them back to the present.

"Coming!" Alana called for her Padawan before giving Obi-Wan her playfully annoyed look and racing to the side of her Padawan.

It didn't take long until the forces around them diminished, and they had taken the city back. Alana found herself checking around to see how many men they had lost, but they were fortunate. The casualties were minimal and their recapture of the city had been successful.

In order to fortify their position in the city, Alana began to oversee the set up the ground cannons. She watched as they were moved to a defensive formation, and many of the entrances and exits to the city were barricaded so there was only one point of entry.

Once she was satisfied with their progress, she made her way to where Anakin, Obi-Wan, Commander Cody, and Captain Rex were standing, discussing their strategies and the outcome of the battle.

"Good to see you, General," Captain Rex spoke as Alana approached, he looked around her, as if expecting to see someone, but he was disappointed.

Alana raised an eyebrow at his actions, a small part of her believing he was looking for Sylvan.

"My Padawan is helping to set up a forward command center to ensure that the rest of the planet is successfully taken," she said to the group, but her words were directed to Captain Rex.

"Sylvan seems to be doing very well for herself," Obi-Wan remarked, causing Alana to nod.

"After our crash, she faltered slightly. Usually she is fiery and quick to act, but she's done very well. I could easily see her becoming a Jedi Master one day," Alana said, a proud smile stretching across her face.

"That's good," Anakin said. "And if she becomes a Knight soon, she would almost be as young as I was," he smiled at Alana.

"Do you think we should send our transport ships back for supplies?" Alana asked, changing the subject. She hated thinking about her Padawan growing up so quickly, and she was not entirely convinced Sylvan was ready to be on her own. "After all, we've done all that we can for now."

"I like that idea," Obi-Wan nodded. "It will give us more men, and we'll be better able to get the last of the Separatists off of this planet."

"I suppose," Anakin nodded. "Rex, will you get that taken care of?"

"Yes, sir!" Rex said.

"Cody, you too," Obi-Wan added, and the two clone leaders moved away from the group together, heading for the transport ships. The three Jedi stood, arms crossed, looking across the city.

Alana smiled as she looked about the battlefield. It had been an easy victory, and she was glad for it. She was not sure how much more fighting she could take today.

But as she watched the ships take off into the air, she could not shake the feeling in her stomach that their victory was not a victory, and that the day had only just begun.


	35. Division

Unfortunately, the pit in Alana's stomach grew as she suddenly heard blaster fire nearby. She looked to Obi-Wan and frowned. They were close to the front lines.

"That doesn't sound good," Alana said, clenching her jaw. She scanned the forward command center to see if she could spot Sylvan, but her eyesight was slightly fuzzy. Alana frowned and squinted, trying to make out the figures. From what she could tell, Sylvan had disappeared. Alana sighed, realizing she had misplaced her Padawan.

"Let's go!" Anakin called to her and to Captain Rex, who had not made it very far.

"I can't, I have to find Sylvan," Alana called as he turned to race away with Obi-Wan.

Obi-Wan scanned Alana's face before nodding in agreement. Something inside him made him reach out and touch her hand briefly.

"Be careful, my love," he spoke softly so that she was the only one who could hear his words. Alana glanced over to where Anakin was busy shouting orders to a few troops before turning back to Obi-Wan and smiling.

"You too," she replied, beginning to back away from him. "I'll find you once I've located Sylvan," she said, turning and racing away.

"That's not really a plan!" Obi-Wan called to her, but it was too late. She had already raced out of earshot. He sighed and looked at Anakin, who had turned his attention back to the two of them and was sporting a smirk across his face.

"Since when has she ever made a plan?" He said before turning and racing towards the blaster fire, Captain Rex in tow.

"I always seem to be stuck with the two worst planners in the history of the Jedi Order," Obi-Wan muttered to himself as he chased after Anakin.

Meanwhile, Alana had reached the forward command center to see a captain she did not recognize directing troops. Seeing her, he saluted quickly, expecting her to inform him of a plan but she shook her head.

"Follow Kenobi and Anakin's orders," she said. "Have you seen Sylvan? My Padawan?"

"Sorry, sir," the captain shook his head, causing Alana to sigh.

"I sent her here," Alana muttered, scanning around at the troops who were all making their way to the front lines. She quickly used her transmitter to try and reach Sylvan, but it was no use. Alana looked around before suddenly noticing Sylvan race in a direction opposite of the battle.

"Sylvan!" Alana shouted as loud as she could over the blasts, knowing that with her sensitive ears, Sylvan would be able to hear her. She winced suddenly, the sound of her own, loud voice making her head pound.

"Sir?" The clone trooper asked, looking in the direction that Alana was shouting and seeing her wince. He had a confused expression on his face.

Alana looked back at him and frowned before looking back to where Sylvan was, racing away from the front lines. Her Padawan challenged her, but she never directly ignored her. Alana looked to the front lines, trying to survey the situation, but it was no use. Her vision was hazy, and so she had no choice. She raced after her Padawan, calling her name loudly.

She raced back, deeper into the city, and the firefight behind her grew quieter and quieter. A sense of unease began to build in Alana's chest. Something wasn't right. She was gaining ground on Sylvan.

Suddenly, in the middle of running, Sylvan vanished out into thin air, causing Alana to skid to a halt.

She blinked her eyes, confused and bewildered at what was going on. Sylvan had been so real and tangible, but to disappear so suddenly? Had she hallucinated? Alana reached up and touched the wound to on her head only to find it was bleeding again. 

Something was wrong. The world around her began to spin and swirl, and before she could turn back to the battle, she collapsed to her knees.

"I'm fine," Alana hissed, trying to focus on something, anything in the grass around her.

"Master! Master!" Sylvan's voice came to her.

Alana looked up to see a blurred Sylvan racing towards her.

"Are you real?" Alana asked, her mind and vision becoming more and more clouded by the second.

Sylvan frowned and leaned down, touching Alana on the shoulder.

"Your head. You must have reinjured it worse than we thought in the crash," Sylvan shook her head. "Can you stand, Master? We have to get you back to base."

"Why were you running away?" Alana asked, the words and sentences pouring out of her mouth uncontrollably as Sylvan helped her to her feet.

"What are you talking about? I was running after you."

As if not understanding what Sylvan had said, Alana tilted her head to the side, trying to look at her Padawan, but she could not find the right words to convey what she wanted to say.

"Away? Battle. Fire." Alana's words became increasingly jumbled, causing Sylvan's eyes to widen. She was much worse than they had thought.

"Come on," Sylvan groaned as she dragged Alana back towards the battle.

Suddenly, Alana became limp in her arms, and Sylvan crashed to the ground, the unexpected weight leaving her unprepared. Sylvan groaned and checked to make sure Alana was still breathing.

"Master," Sylvan said, trying to wake her. She could feel the panic in her chest rising. "Master, come on."

Sylvan looked back to the battle and then to Alana. She couldn't leave her, but she couldn't carry her back to where the other soldiers were.

"Someone help!" Sylvan called, seeing some troops marching in the distance towards the front lines. "Please!" She shouted. She watched as they disappeared from sight, and she turned back to Alana. "What would Master Skywalker do? Think, Sylvan," she muttered to herself. She turned to where she could see the blood on Alana's face coming out faster and faster. If she did nothing to stop the blood flow, Alana would bleed out right there. Sylvan jumped into action, ripping a piece of Alana's battle uniform off and using it to tie a bandage firmly around her head.

Once she had done that, she tried to use her radio to contact anyone, but the signal wasn't reaching any of the others. She gritted her teeth, before realizing what she had to do.

Sylvan laid Alana on the ground and stood, closing her eyes and reaching her hand out, sensing and feeling in the Force the cold and darkness that shrouded her Master. Sylvan shuddered as she strained, using the Force and lifting her up. Alana was heavy in the Force, difficult to hold onto, yet Sylvan pushed past the mental weight of what she was doing.

She stepped forwards, moving alongside Alana's body as they made their way closer and closer to the main center of people. They had gone relatively far from the command center, and Sylvan slowly felt herself weaken.

She had lifted objects with her mind, with the Force, but this was something else. Carrying the weight of someone she cared deeply for, someone whose presence in the Force was unbalanced. Sylvan had not felt this sense of imbalance ever in her Master.

Suddenly, Sylvan heard people around her, and she opened her eyes to see a handful of men racing towards her and Alana, and Sylvan lost her grip on Alana, barely able to catch her Master before she fell to the ground.

"Sir, sir, what has happened?"

"Master Skywalker, she's injured badly. Her head wound is much worse than we thought," Sylvan gasped, finding herself completely out of breath. She relayed what had happened exactly to the troopers as they brought a stretcher over to Alana. Within moments, Alana was on the stretcher and being raced to find a medic.

Sylvan sat there, shaking from the effort, the sounds of blaster fire slowly quieting until there was silence. She was on the ground, near the command center, the front lines barely out of sight in front of her. She watched as suddenly Anakin and Master Kenobi came over the battlefield, talking seriously as they made their way to a landing shuttle.

Before the doors could open, Sylvan watched as suddenly, Obi-Wan and Anakin noticed the stretcher containing Alana, now accompanied by two medics. They were making their way to the shuttle with the hopes of getting her off of the surface. It was clear that they had heard Sylvan's story and were deeply concerned. They did not have adequate supplies to treat Alana on the planet. 

Sylvan watched as Anakin's face darkened as he raced to her side. He threw an almost-accusing glance to where he sensed Sylvan was watching. Obi-Wan too turned from the shuttle, racing over to Alana's side, his hand immediately grabbing hers.

They spoke quickly with the medics that were escorting her. The medics were shaking their heads, motioning to the shuttle urgently. Alana was clearly much worse off than anyone had imagined. 

Obi-Wan's head turned to see where Sylvan sat on the ground, her ears drooped low, slouched down, her lightsaber set at her side. Their eyes met, but Sylvan looked away. She could not bear to look at the one person who she had grown to admire so much, and the one person she knew Alana cared for deeply.

Sylvan watched as the stretcher was loaded onto the shuttle, and a small Youngling stepped out, a Togruta. The Togruta exchanged words with Obi-Wan and Anakin before following after a clearly-distressed Anakin. As the shuttle took off into the air, with Alana being escorted off of the planet, Obi-Wan slowly made his way over to where Sylvan sat.

He came to stand in front of her, desperately trying to keep himself composed, but Sylvan could feel the worry seeping through his otherwise-calm presence.

"It's my fault," Sylvan finally spoke, pulling her knees to her chest. "I knew she had hit her head on the way down, but when it stopped bleeding, I just assumed she was okay. Master Skywalker has always been okay."

"It's not your fault," came Obi-Wan's quiet reply. "None of us knew. None of us could have known."

"She'll be okay, right?" Sylvan said, her eyes filling with tears as she looked up to meet Obi-Wan's eyes. "They'll treat her in time?"

It was Obi-Wan's turn to not meet Sylvan's eyes. He did not want to think about losing Alana, but from what the medics had said, they were not certain.

"I do not know," Obi-Wan replied, taking a deep breath.

He closed his eyes for a second, pushing down his emotions, using his Jedi training to do what he always should have done. He pushed away his feelings for Alana. He let go of how deeply he loved her, he shut himself off from the pain he would feel if she died. He turned it off. He put himself away from those emotions, replacing them with nothingness. With silence. With meditation. With the Force.

When he opened his eyes again, Sylvan could tell that something was different.

"You must not allow your emotions to take control of you. We are in the middle of a war, Sylvan," he said. "She will die, or she will survive. This is the life of a Jedi."

"But she is my Master," Sylvan protested, beginning to feel angry at Obi-Wan. How he had gone from extreme worry to nearly completely emotionless. This was not like him. The Obi-Wan she knew would not speak this way. "She has to live. I- I-"

"If you cannot find peace within yourself, then perhaps you should return to the ship," Obi-Wan said, beginning to turn away from Sylvan. 

Just before he began to walk away, he paused, speaking over his shoulder.

"If you can find peace, then recenter yourself, and follow me. We have much work to do."


	36. Waking Up

Alana faded in and out of consciousness. She couldn't feel the passing of time. She didn't know what was happening. She didn't know where she was. As lights faded in and out of her vision, she could have sworn that she had died. Voices floated in and out of her hearing, and she struggled to identify them.

Suddenly, everything went dark and quiet. It was not an uneasy sense, but one of peace and tranquility. She had died. At least, so she thought until a bright light came into her vision and she was shocked into consciousness, gasping for air like a drowning person.

She was thrashing, trying to grab onto anything solid until suddenly she found herself being held down and a familiar, calming voice made her come to her senses. In front of her was none other than Obi-Wan.

He was holding her down, speaking to her, but his words were barely audible. As she regained her senses, the confusion settled in on her face.

"Where am I? How did I get here?" She began to babble, but a searing pain across her head caused her to shut up, and she winced.

"You have to calm down," Obi-Wan said gently, still holding tightly to her arms. "Please, Alana."

In his arms, Alana managed to calm down. He held her to his chest, his light breathing helped to clam her. She finally pulled back and felt him press his lips to her forehead quickly, reminding her of who she was to him. But for some reason, Alana still didn't feel right. Something was wrong.

"What's happened?"

"What do you last remember?" Obi-Wan asked.

"I remember getting to Christophsis," she shook her head. "I vaguely remember fighting and then looking for Sylvan, but after that, I don't remember anything."

Obi-Wan nodded his head solemnly, "You were much worse off than anyone could have imagined."

"Tell me what's happened, Obi-Wan. How long have I been out?"

"You've been under special care on Kamino for two weeks, Alana," he replied, running his hands through his hair. "You missed the rest of the battle, you missed Anakin's first mission with his padawan," he trailed off when he noted Alana's confused expression.

"Anakin- has a-"

"Yes, she's young, takes after him," Obi-Wan nodded his head, but he did not give her much more information on the subject. He quickly detailed the mission on Christophsis and that Sylvan had been temporarily reassigned under his guidance. Alana nodded, agreeing that it was a good decision, but the more she spoke with him, the more concern she felt.

Alana sighed, beginning to get the sense that her husband was in a mood. "What is it, Obi-Wan?" She asked, laying her head back on the bed, ignoring the dull ache that rang steadily in her head.

"You could have died, Alana," he said quietly, finally admitting what was wrong.

"But I did not."

"Yes, but you could have. You were too close to danger," Obi-Wan replied, running his hand through his hair yet again, causing Alana to narrow her eyes slightly.

"It's something more than that," she said.

"I can't stay," Obi-Wan said quietly.

"What do you mean? I've only just-"

"The Council has called me back out to the front. I was only coming here to say goodbye," he said, a deep look of regret on his face. "Sylvan stopped by just before I arrived. She'll be coming with me."

"What? But I'm awake," Alana said. "It is my duty to train my Padawan, not yours or anyone else's. We must call the Council and inform them that I am back."

"Alana, my dear, the Council has already given you an assignment," he said quietly. "Once you were to wake, then you would be reassigned to Coruscant to help with various tasks as assigned. Once you have healed, then you may have the chance to be assigned elsewhere."

"Coruscant? 'May have the chance?' Who does the Council believe itself to be?" Alana groaned in frustration and gritted her teeth. The more outrage she felt, the more the wound on her head would ache.

"Alana, please, you have done enough damage to yourself already," Obi-Wan said, pacing back and forth beside her bed. He stopped and looked down at where she lay. "You should lay down and rest and sleep."

"Sleep and rest?" Alana groaned. "You are not my mother, Obi-Wan."

"No, but I am your husband," he replied stiffly, causing her to glare up at him from where she lay on the bed.

"You do not own me," Alana snapped.

"No, I do not," Obi-Wan agreed. "But I am also a Jedi, and when I tell you that I do not think you are fit for battle so soon, then please, listen to me."

Alana frowned, finally letting his words sink in. The dull pain in her head was a little worse now, and she winced at the thought of returning to the noise of the battlefield. She was in bad shape.

"You're right," she said, barely above a whisper. She hated admitting that she was wrong, but she was not in the mood to argue, and she knew deep in her heart that he was right. "I'm sorry."

Obi-Wan was shocked at her quick response, faltering and hesitating at his next words. He was ready to fight her over it, preparing to tell her what he had told the Council of their mission, but he froze up. Seeing her lying there in pain made him hurt, and he took a deep breath before going back over to her and placing another kiss to her forehead.

"Rest. Get strong, Alana," he said, stroking her hair gently. "Please."

"I know," Alana admitted, reaching out and grabbing his hand before he could leave. "I want you to be safe. And promise me you will treat Sylvan well in my absence."

"Always," Obi-Wan said gently, squeezing her hand.

Alana suddenly tilted her head up and closed her eyes, kissing Obi-Wan on the lips, wanting him to stay beside her as long as possible, but all too soon, he pulled away, a strange and sad look spread across his face before turning towards the door.

Just as he was about to step out, Alana shifted in her bed and spoke quietly.

"I love you, Obi-Wan."

"I am yours forever," he replied before suddenly he was gone.

Alana took a deep breath, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall down her face. Her head was aching even more now. She laid there for a few hours in silence, wondering when she would feel better. She wished she had been able to speak with Sylvan, but it did not appear that she would have that chance. She stood and found herself walking slowly around the room as she thought about her situation.

Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a medical droid entering the room. Alana sighed, rolling over, trying to ignore the droid, but it began to speak with her.

"Good afternoon," it said. "I heard you were awake. I am the droid that has been your primary care physician. I have corrected the bleed inside of your brain, and you are well on your way to recovery. You may experience some pain, but that is normal until the tissue is fully healed. I am hereby discharging you back to your quarters on Kamino given that you minimize your physical activity for the next two months."

"That's good," Alana furrowed her brows at his statement. "Two months? That's a long time."

"Yes, it may appear that way. But, you have a few months to spend inside anyways. It won't be long until you're on bed rest again."

"Uh-" Alana looked at the droid in confusion.

"Oh, yes. I was doing extensive testing in preparation for the surgery, and one of your tests came back positive. You are 3.5 weeks pregnant."

Alana's eyes widened at the medical droid's statement. Her mouth dropped open in shock as she stood there, reeling from the shock.

"Did you not know?" The droid asked, appearing almost confused at her stunned reaction. She was frozen to the spot. 

"Pregnant?" She finally hissed, finding herself glancing around the room as if she were afraid people were listening. "That's- that's impossible!"

"There are a few different methods that are commonly used to conceive a child. The most common for humanoids is-"

"Stop! Stop. I know," she hissed. "How many people know? Have you told anyone else?"

"It is illegal for me to share any medical knowledge about a Jedi unless specially requested by the Jedi Council. The knowledge of the pregnancy is only stored on my memory bank."

"Is your memory backed up?" She demanded, feeling herself begin to be overwhelmed and panicking.

"Yes, but I have not been backed up in fifteen days, twenty hours, thirty-four minutes and twelve seconds. You arrived in my care thirteen days, tw-"

At that statement, Alana stood and made her way towards the droid and ripped the droid's head off its body, not wanting to hear anymore. 

She had the overwhelming urge to get the memory chip out, so she began to tear it to shreds, desperately trying to get into its head. She scoured the damaged metal before locating the chip and yanking it from the droid's body in a mindless panic. She shattered the chip into her hand, making sure that it would never be found by anyone or anything before sighing in relief.

As soon as she did that, she looked over to where she had torn apart the little droid like a rabid animal, and she gasped. It was like she had lost her mind, and she wobbled where she stood, feeling the pounding in her head grow.

"No," she gasped, beginning to finally wrap her mind around what the medical droid had said. She was not very far along, but she knew that the likelihood of the child's survival was high. Alana sat back on her bed, her hand immediately slipping down to her stomach where she took a deep breath. "I'm... pregnant," she whispered.

Her head immediately began to swirl to what the Council would do if they found out. She tried to take deep breaths, thinking about her action plans. A large part of her knew that she wanted the child, deep down. It was hers and Obi-Wan's.

As she began to think about Obi-Wan, she realized that she needed to talk to him. Before she could do anything, she would have to speak with him. She looked to where the destroyed droid was, and she swallowed.

"I have to get rid of that thing," she muttered before sticking her head out of her door and peering down the hallway. It was empty. She narrowed her eyes, squinting to see if she could locate a trash compactor, and she did.

Within seconds, she was dragging parts of the droid out of her room in the medical bay, down the hall, and to the trash compactor. She had nearly finished and had the last piece of the droid's body in her hands when she heard a familiar voice call to her from down the hallway.

She looked up, quickly hiding the droid's head behind her back when she noted who it was.

"Commander Bash!" She said, a smile on her face. She was actually very happy to see him, even though it was a rather inopportune moment.

"General, it's good to see you up and about," he said, approaching her.

"I should say the same about you," she replied, inching closer and closer to the trash compactor, which Commander Bash was now blocking. She knew he would ask questions if he saw what she was doing.

"A week and a half in the bacta tank and I am ready to get back out on the field of battle," he said. "When I heard you were badly injured, I came to visit every day. The men are worried about you."

"Thank you," Alana said, her eyes moving to where the trash compactor was.

"Oh, am I in your way?" Commander Bash noted her gaze. His eyes had also noted that she was hiding something behind her back, to which he was curious as to what it was.

"Uh," Alana hesitated, looking between Bash and the compactor before giving in. "I may have destroyed a droid."

Bash raised an eyebrow, "A medical droid?"

"Yes, yes, now would you let me throw this away?" Alana hissed, pushing past him and disposing of the head, much to Bash's delight. He chuckled at her expression.

"I assume it was a medical droid who came to take your vitals once too many times?"

"You could say that," Alana replied, dusting off her hands and looking up at Bash. Her mind quickly drifted to what the medical droid had said, and she shifted slightly, knowing that she needed to go. "I should, uh, get going," she said nervously.

Bash looked at her, a very confused expression on his face. "Go? We aren't leaving for Coruscant until tomorrow?"

"Wait, what?" Alana asked, freezing in her place.

"You don't know?" Bash asked. "As soon as General Kenobi informed us that you were awake, he contacted the Council, and they scheduled the departure for tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow?" Alana gulped. "Well, then, I will see you in the hangar tomorrow morning."

"Wait, General you-"

But before Bash could finish his sentence, Alana found herself half-way down the hall, heading in the direction of her quarters from the last time she had been on Coruscant. She quickly unlocked them using her code and made her way inside, noting that a handful of her things had been put inside. 

She dug through the small bag that contained all of her possessions and supplies, before finally locating the emergency communications device. She opened up a link and waited, hoping that Obi-Wan would respond.

Again and again, she tried and failed, and each time she got progressively more and more frustrated before giving up altogether. She laid down on her bed, her head pounding slightly, and her mind tangled up with thoughts of the pregnancy.

"I would have to leave the Jedi Order," she said quietly to herself, her hand going to rest on her stomach where the baby was growing. Even though she couldn't feel anything yet, just knowing that the child was there was excited and utterly terrifying. "Or we could keep it a secret," she said, frowning at that. It was a terrible idea, but... it was the only way that she could still be a Jedi and be a mother.

If they had managed to keep their marriage a secret the past few months, then it was possible that they could keep a child a secret, but Alana wasn't sure how. She knew that she would have to contact Obi-Wan as soon as possible.

As she thought of those things, she slowly began to drift off into sleep, her mind wandering to her child.

"Just as your father has told me," she whispered. "You will forever be mine."


	37. The Newcomer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT AN: I am so excited for you guys to read this chapter. I am actually working in tandem with another author and her OC to bring you this chapter and a few subsequent chapters. We have so much in store. You can check her out on AO3 under the username charis_nikola
> 
> We are both SO ready for you guys to meet Cieralai, and we want to know how you feel about her!

When Alana woke the next morning, she reluctantly packed her bag and boarded the ship that would take her back to Coruscant. Almost sensing that she was in a mood, Commander Bash and the rest of his men left her to her own devices. She spent her time in her room, either trying to contact Obi-Wan without success or closing her eyes to meditate, hoping that the dull pain in her head would go away.

The arrival back on Coruscant was much less happy than the last time Alana had left. Now taking up her place as an injured Jedi in recovery, she felt useless. She said goodbye to her men, making sure that they all had their proper assignments before making her way to a shuttle that brought her to the Jedi Temple.

She slowly made her way inside, greeting a handful of Jedi in the process with a courteous nod of acknowledgment. She slipped into one of the turbolifts that brought her to her quarters, and when the door slid open, she stepped inside, the door sliding shut behind her. It had been a few months since her last time on Coruscant, and while normally she was glad to return, she found the bustling place to feel empty and lonely.

Gone were the days of being able to sneak into Obi-Wan's quarters and sleep in his arms. Alana instinctually put her hand around the rope around her neck, twirling her concealed ring in her hands.

_I am always with you. ___

__She could just barely feel the engraving on the inside of the ring. She smiled at the thought before looking down at her stomach, and for a moment she felt at peace, the dull pain in her head subsiding._ _

__"I suppose he's right," she said._ _

__If anyone had seen her speaking softly to herself, they would have thought her crazy. But she knew that she was not speaking to the air or to herself, but to the tiny child growing inside of her. Even though she felt alone, being away from Sylvan, Anakin, and Obi-Wan, she wasn't._ _

__Suddenly, a knock came at her door. Alana was shaken from her thoughts, and her hand dropped from her necklace._ _

__"Coming!" She called before going back over to the door and pressing the button to open it._ _

__A youngling was standing at her door, looking up at her with their eyes wide. They were stunned for a second and seemed to have forgotten what to say, which made Alana nearly laugh out loud. As she smothered her laugh, she knelt down to come face-to-face with the child._ _

__"Hello Youngling," she said. "Are you alright?"_ _

__"Oh! Uh, yes!" The youngling spoke, twisting their hands nervously. "Master Plo sent me to invite you to the Council room."_ _

__"Thank you," Alana said. "I will make my way there now."_ _

__The youngling bowed slightly before racing off down the hall. Alana did not have the heart to call after him to slow down as many other Jedi had called to her when she had been caught racing down the halls._ _

__Instead, she stepped out of her room and made her way towards the turbolift to the council chambers._ _

__Once she arrived, she slid into the chambers, noting a handful of other Council members had already gathered, and amongst them was someone Alana had only seen a handful of times before._ _

__There was a woman with a similar skin complexion as Master Windu, and she was in the seat that was positioned to the left of Master Windu's and to the right of Master Plo Koon's. Her almond-shaped eyes had pupils that were the color of ice and they were framed by thick naturally arching eyebrows. Her lips, which were full in terms of the upper lip, were set in a thin line. The woman appeared almost angry, but her expression was practically emotionless, so it was nearly hard to place._ _

__Her waist-length hair was dark brown and it faded midway into platinum blonde tips, and the woman kept her hair in two goddess braids that she draped over her shoulders. In contrast to the traditional Jedi Guardian robes that the High Council usually wore, the woman instead wore white and gray Jedi Sentinel Master robes that seemed to frame her slightly built, hourglass figure. Her robes highlighted her slightly broad shoulders, muscled thighs, and long legs, in which she kept one crossed over the other. From where she was sitting, it was almost obvious that the woman was nearly as tall as the relative who sat next to her. Her name was Cieralai Windu._ _

__Alana recognized her as Master Windu's niece. Cieralai's mother, Irenen, had been a former Jedi Sentinel Master, but she had chosen to leave the Jedi Order to have a family and raise a child. However, once the Jedi had discovered Cieralai's Force sensitivity, she had been brought back to the Temple to be trained by the order of Jedi Master Mace Windu._ _

__Alana arched her eyebrow as she studied the young woman. It was a surprise to see her in a Council meeting and in person, for that matter. Cieralai was a Master and member of the Council, but she rarely attended, typically busy with her duties as a Sentinel in areas without the ability to link into the meetings._ _

__As she moved to take her seat in the Council, she flashed Cieralai a smile, only to receive a blank stare in response. Alana stiffened and let her smile drop, registering that Cieralai was not one for small talk or kind, meaningless gestures. Alana's gaze then looked to where Obi-Wan's hologram should have been, but upon noting the empty chair, she let out a long breath._ _

__As she turned back to the Council room, she nodded her head to her former master, and he called the meeting to order._ _

__The meeting began, with each of the Council members reporting on the various battles and planetary crises. She noted that despite Cieralai's presence, she was the only one not to share. Other than that, Alana barely paid attention, only speaking up when it was her turn. She spoke briefly on the battles in the Outer Rim and mentioned her Padawan's brief reassignment. Once she was done, the others nodded and the sharing continued._ _

__After a few decisions were made, Master Windu finally came to the issue of Alana herself. He turned to her and spoke._ _

__"We are glad to see you here alive, Alana," he said, his voice full of warmth towards his former Padawan. His kind smile drastically contrasted the cold expression of the young woman sitting next to him._ _

__"Thank you, Master," she nodded her head back towards him, trying to ignore the practically insolent stare coming from Cieralai's icy blue eyes._ _

__"Due to your current condition, Alana, many members of the Council have decided that recalling you to Coruscant was the best course of action in order to give you time to heal. As you know, your Padawan has been assigned to the field under Master Kenobi, and your men have also been called back out to the fight," Windu said, his voice having returned to his business-as-usual tone._ _

__Alana tried not to show her displeasure at the Council's hasty decision to have her return to Coruscant, but she nodded. She already missed her Padawan and her men, and she felt incredibly guilty at the fact that she was leaving them to fight a war without her to guide them. Especially since one of the main reasons she was so sick was due to her secret and illicit pregnancy. She perked her head up as Master Windu continued._ _

__"Upon returning from the Outer Rim, Cieralai here has been assigned to help with the combat training of many of our younglings and padawans. As your new assignment back on Coruscant, the Council has decided that you should assist her in these responsibilities. This will allow you time to heal, and it would give an additional perspective of training to the younglings."_ _

__Alana nearly sputtered at the audacity of the Council, but she placed a fake smile on her face, trying her best not to display the anger she could feel building behind the facade she had built up in the Force to keep the Council members out._ _

__"The Council has decided?" Alana asked. "May I ask when this decision was made? I appear to have forgotten."_ _

__"While you were still in recovery on Kamino, Master Kenobi spoke in council, detailing the extent of your injuries, and he suggested a course of action that would keep you out of harm's way while you recover."_ _

__Alana wanted to scream. Of course he had. She had remembered their talk on Kamino. She remembered how vague he had been, almost unsurprised when she had told him about being called back to Kamino._ _

__"I see," she said. She wanted to march right out of the room, take the next ship to the Outer Rim, and slap her husband across the face. She clenched her fist, hiding it by the hem of her pants and forced a stoic look on her face. This was a topic of conversation she would cover in detail with him later. Instead, all she could do was bow to the orders of the Council, as she had done for nearly her entire life. She turned to Cieralai and nodded her head. "I look forward to working with you."_ _

__Cieralai impassively regarded Alana before glancing away in response. She looked at Master Windu and spoke for the first time. "Is that all?"_ _

__Master Windu looked to Master Yoda, who nodded his head slowly._ _

__"Dismissed, the Council is," Master Yoda said, his voice quiet and ancient, but filled with authority._ _

__Alana sat still for a moment, watching as the others rose from their seats and took leave of one another until only one other remained in the room. Alana sighed loudly before finally standing to her feet. She moved across the room to come standing close to Cieralai's chair._ _

__"I suppose that we should get to know one another," she said, unintentionally making her voice sound upset. She didn't mean to sound rude, but her mind was full of anger already, and she was frustrated that her talents were being wasted yet again._ _

__It seemed like with every step of her Jedi training and her life as a Jedi was full of progress, only for each step forward being halted to take two steps back. The Council didn't seem to want to use her in battles or to work with those she cared for. She was being turned into a glorified babysitter, doomed to follow the orders of someone she barely knew._ _

__She shook herself from her thoughts, sensing that they were leading her down a dangerous path. She pursed her lips and shook her head, also realizing how her toxic words from moments ago must appear to Cieralai._ _

__"I'm sorry," she said weakly. "My mind has not been exactly in the right place since my accident. My words were not meant maliciously."_ _

__Cieralai once again regarded Alana with her cold eyes, then she stood up, revealing her towering height. "You should be grateful that the Council has decided to put you to use. A Jedi should not make excuses for their behavior. I will see you in training." And without another word, the woman left the room._ _

__Alana was left gaping as Cieralai gracefully glided out of the room. She soon snapped her jaw shut and gritted her teeth, already dreading to work with the woman._ _

__"I suppose I will," she muttered to herself before making her way out of the room also. Instead of heading directly to the training rooms, however, she made her way down the tower to the library, wanting to look over Cieralai's personnel file. She wanted to know the ins and outs of the woman, especially what made her be such an unpleasant person._ _

__She slid into the library and immediately felt a sense of calm. It was her favorite place within the temple, and upon seeing the face of Master Jocasta, Alana felt her spirits lift._ _

__"Hello, Master," she greeted the ancient woman._ _

__"Why hello there, young Alana," Master Jocasta said kindly. "I have not seen you here for some time."_ _

__"No, Master, unfortunately, you have not," Alana replied. "I have been on assignment in the Outer Rim. It is good to see you again."_ _

__"It is good to have someone who appreciates the knowledge and information within our great library so much. How may I help you today?"_ _

__"I am in need of a personnel file," Alana said. "Cieralai Windu, please."_ _

__"Yes, of course," Master Jocasta said._ _

__Within moments, Alana found herself hidden away deep within the stacks of electronic files and datapads, curled up in one of the chairs and opening up the file, humming lightly to herself. Soon enough she was lost deep within Cieralai's personnel file._ _

__There was no exact note of who she had been trained by, but it was marked that her former Master had left the order without a trace. Strange. Alana then continued to examine the file and read on how Cieralai had been sent to the Jedi Order at the young age of three. As she got older, she was trained in the Sentinel branch as a Jedi Shadow, meaning that she was in the branch that would travel across the galaxy and would be responsible for the elimination of those who allied with the Dark Side or Dark Side Users._ _

__This made sense to Alana as she had often noted that the woman wasn't typically seen at the temple. Along with that, Cieralai's file contained brief information on her mother, Irenen Windu, and how she was formerly a Sentinel Master like Cieralai herself before she had left the Jedi Order._ _

__What was also mentioned in the report was how Cieralai wielded two lightsabers as a Sentinel, and that she had inherited the purple kyber crystals from her mother, Irenen Windu and her uncle, Mace Windu. It was also mentioned that the purple kyber crystal itself was extremely rare to find and that it was passed down through the Windu lineage for hundreds of years. She was known to be highly skilled in lightsaber combat and dueling, using the aggressive Form VII, or Juro, as her style of combat._ _

__As Alana neared the end of Cieralai's file, she frowned as she tried to open one of the remaining reports attached to her personnel file. She realized that it had been sealed, and when she went to use her credentials to unseal it, it remained inaccessible. She frowned. There had been a time when she was younger that she had not been allowed to access restricted files, but now that she was a member of the Council and a Jedi Master, she should have had access to everything._ _

__Alana frowned, trying again, but she was blocked for a second time. She sat back, running her hands through her hair before looking over her shoulder to see who was around. She then quickly turned back to the screen and entered in Master Windu's access codes, still having them memorized from when she had been a Padawan._ _

__But yet again, she was denied entry. Alana's frown deepened._ _

__"What are you hiding?" She muttered._ _

__At that moment, Master Jocasta came bustling by, and Alana grabbed her attention._ _

__"Master!" She called quietly. As Master Jocasta approached, Alana leaned over so that she could see what was on Alana's screen. "I am unable to access this restricted file, even with my credentials. Is there any other way to access it?"_ _

__"That is very strange," Master Jocasta hummed. "You will have to speak with the owner of the file themselves. It is possible that it was encrypted especially by the owner."_ _

__"I see," Alana replied. "Thank you, Master."_ _

__As Master Jocasta hurried away, Alana slumped in her chair and checked the time. She had been reading through everything, and it had taken her a long time. It was now late in the evening, with Alana having missed the last mealtime of the day. She sighed again, the restricted report in Cieralai's file making her uneasy._ _

__"What kind of secret is so bad that it is hidden from me? From Master Windu himself?" Alana thought out loud. She shook her head. All the things running through her mind were bad enough, and she was getting tired. "It is none of my business. It must have been sealed for a good reason."_ _

__She thought of herself and the sealed file on the exact details of the Council meeting that had taken place to initiate her exile as a teenager. Alana sighed and turned off the screen and pulled the file from the data reader. She stood from the chair, taking the personnel file and returning it to the proper place. She then exited the library quietly before turning to her room._ _

__The training would begin tomorrow morning, and her questions would have to wait._ _

__When she reached her room, she tried again to contact Obi-Wan, as she did every day now, but again there was no answer. She could only hope that he was okay. As she lay down to sleep that night, she found sleep to be difficult._ _

__Alana found her mind filled with many things as she tossed and turned, trying to fall asleep. She had many questions. She was angry with the Council and Obi-Wan for her new position. She was worried about how Obi-Wan would take the news of her pregnancy. She was worried about the life of their child._ _

__After hours of restless thought, she was finally able to drift into an uneasy sleep._ _


	38. Tension

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for sticking with me these past couple of weeks with everything going on in the world and with this work. I wanted to take a break to honor and focus on the BLM movement, and I also have recently found out my work was stolen and posted by someone else. I’ve begun to work things out now, so thank you for your patience. Now I am finally returning to regularly scheduled posting. Again, this chapter was co-written with @charis_nikola and I’m so excited for you to read it!

The next morning and after a fitful sleep, Alana woke up early, giving her enough time to attempt to contact Obi-Wan. Her headache persisted, and the continual stress of trying to contact her husband was not helping. She sighed in frustration after the communication failed time and time again. There was nothing left for her to do. It appeared that she wasn’t going to be able to reach him. Instead, Alana quickly ate breakfast before moving to one of the meditation rooms for her morning meditation.

As she closed her eyes, her mind began to drift into the peace and balance of the Force. This was when Alana felt the most comfortable. She was undisturbed and most content within the walls of the temple and deeply embedded into the force.

As her eyes were closed, she faded deeper and deeper into the Force, feeling the bonds around her between happiness and sadness, serenity and chaos, and light and dark.

But the more she faded into the Force, the colder and more concerned she got. It was the same feeling she had gotten each time she had seen visions of her younger self.

Suddenly, the visions started. Out of the calm, the memories continued to flood back.

_“I kneel before you as your servant,” Alana said, kneeling before a darkened figure._

_She couldn’t make out who the person was, but in her heart, she knew it was the mysterious man in black who she had encountered in the hallway not long ago_

_“Good, good!” The man laughed. “Rise, child. I have many tasks for you. Your powers will grow under mine and my friend, Count Dooku’s tutelage.”_

_“Yes,” Alana smiled._

_She was dressed in an all-black outfit, a red and black cloak wrapped around her body, the hood down to reveal her face to the man before her._

_“I have a gift for you,” the man said, reaching behind him and pulling out a black cylinder. He walked closer to her before reaching out and handing her the cylinder._

_She looked at it for a moment before twisting it slightly, and it opened to reveal a lightsaber hilt._

_It was completely black, with only a few rings of deep red at the hilt and the grip. She studied it for a moment before igniting it. It was a brilliant red color, and it shone brightly on her face. She found herself smiling._

_“It’s beautiful,” she said._

_“It’s yours.”_

_Alana turned and looked around the room, her eyes narrowing on a mirror. She approached cautiously before looking at her reflection in the mirror. And as she examined the sword, her eyes suddenly met her own, the glinting of the red barely reflecting in the yellow of her eyes._

Alana suddenly opened her eyes, finding herself back in the Temple. She was sweating, her mind overwhelmed. The yellow eyes were etched into her mind, violent, eerie, and foreign.

She sighed, taking a breath. She needed to figure out more about her past, but she wasn't sure how to do it. She rubbed her face with her hands before looking over to where a clock sat silently on the wall, and she gasped, realizing that the training session was supposed to begin soon.

She stood, making her way quickly out of the room, nodding at a handful at other Jedi that she passed.

By the time Alana finally arrived in the training room, Cieralai was sitting cross-legged on the ground in the center of the room with her eyes closed and her dual lightsabers positioned on each side of her body. She briefly opened her eyes to address Alana. 

"You're late."

Alana shifted slightly at the woman's slightly harsh tone and approached her. 

"Sorry, I've just had a hard time sleeping lately. That's all," her mind drifting quickly to the memory from earlier and to her fitful sleep, thinking about the child and Obi-Wan.

Cieralai stood up and turned to face her.

"You're not a good liar, Alana," she said. "I can sense that that isn't the only thing keeping you up at night."

At Cieralai's words, Alana frowned. Her dull headache was persisting, and it added to Alana's anger at times. She was about to rebuke Cieralai for trying to read her, but the Younglings suddenly appeared at the door. As they filed in, the words and argument slipped from Alana's mind, and she put on a smile, happy to see the little children.

"Good morning, everyone," she said, greeting the younglings as they entered. "Take your places. We will begin here in a moment."

As the younglings took their places, Alana stepped forward, while Cieralai stood off to the side with her arms crossed.

"Alright everyone, I would like you to look to see what is in my hand," she turned to where a few vision-blocking helmets were lined up alongside the outskirts of the room. Two of them were bigger than the others, and she reached out through the Force and floated one of the helmets to her hand, causing the younglings to watch on in awe.

"Wow!" A handful of them whispered. "That's so cool."

It was barely noticeable, but Cieralai cracked a smile at their reactions.

"Soon you will learn that for yourself," Alana said, smiling at them, despite her continuous headache. "But that is not why we are here today. Today, you will learn to use the Force to defend yourself. And your vision will not be your guide, but the Force will be."

She glanced over to where Cieralai was standing, and she nodded.

"Would you like to demonstrate for them?"

Cieralai nodded, "Of course." She then gently took the helmet out of Alana's hand and put it over her head. After doing so, she took out her dual sabers and stood back far enough from the children so that she wouldn't accidentally hurt them, but close enough to where they could see her movements. 

"As you can see, I normally use dual lightsabers, but today, I will only use one so that you can see what this would look like with a single saber." She then set down the other saber a little ways away, before returning to her position in the center.

Cieralai took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly before igniting the hilt of her saber, revealing the purple blade that shot out of the intricately crafted handles. She prevented herself from smiling as she heard more gasps and excited whispers from the children.

Alana then turned and pulled out the small circular combat remote that was used for practice. She then looked to the younglings.

"Now, you will be practicing with this today. The blasts are not harmful, but they do sting a little. You will also be using your practice sabers instead of real ones," Alana looked around, making sure that each youngling was paying attention closely. "Now, I am going to turn the remote on, and it will fly into the air. Cieralai will use the Force to know when and where the remote is going to fire, and she will block in with her lightsaber. The only way to turn off the remote is to deflect the blast back at it. Now, please turn your attention to Master Windu, here, and learn."

With that, she flipped the combat remote and turned it on. It hummed for a second before racing upward out of Alana's hand and moved over to circle around Cieralai.

Cieralai's stance relaxed slightly as she could sense the remote circling around her. It blasted at her thigh, which she deflected with ease, and the remote backed off again before circling around her once more and firing three times, one time at her right arm, and the other two times at her chest. These three shots were once again deflected with ease.

This continued on for a few more minutes, and once she felt that the children had understood the process, Cieralai deflected the last blast back at the remote, and it shut down before falling into her hand. She then took off the helmet and faced the kids.

"Thank you Master Skywalker for allowing me to demonstrate this important deflection technique to the Younglings." Cieralai then turned to face them, "Now then. We don't expect you to get this down on your first try. It will take lots of time and effort, but I know that with my and Master Skywalker's help, you will be ready to try this with real lightsabers."

"Now that Master Windu has shown you the proper way to disarm the remote, then why don't you get your helmets and begin?" Alana said, motioning to where the helmets were all lined up neatly along the outside of the room.

With that, the younglings made their way to their helmets, grabbing them before returning to their spots and putting them over their heads. Almost immediately, they gasped, realizing how difficult it was without their vision. A few younglings stumbled, trying to gain their sense of balance with the helmets on.

"Reach with the Force and use it to help you see without eyes," Alana said. "That perfect balance will, in turn, help you balance as well. We are not relying on our eyes or our own abilities. We are relying on the Force."

Cieralai spoke after Alana finished her miniature speech. "Make sure you separate yourselves from each other in order to keep from injuring one another."

A few of the younglings popped their heads out from under the helmets, ensuring that they were far enough away from each other before putting the helmets back on. Others simply stepped away from where they sensed their friends stood.

"Now, ignite your lightsabers," Alana said, making her way over and picking up two of the practice remotes and turning them on. Almost immediately, they whirred to life just as the sharp sound of the sabers igniting hit her ears. She flinched slightly, the whirring sound increasing the pain to her head, and she sighed. She took a deep breath before nodding to where Cieralai stood, two other remotes in her hands, and they let go, watching as the circular remotes zipped across the room towards the younglings.

Cieralai crossed her arms as she slowly circled the Younglings. "Use your senses, and be prepared to act. Everything will happen very quickly, so you must use the Force to react at the appropriate time."

With that, they each took a different space in the room, watching as the various remotes flitted around, choosing and assessing their targets. The younglings reacted to the sounds of the remote as it buzzed around them. Some of them were clearly trying to use their sight to see the remote instead of the Force, and Alana called out to the class.

"Close your eyes under your helmets. It will help you to focus even more."

As she said that, a few younglings immediately stopped swishing their heads around to the sounds of the remotes.

As the remotes chose their targets, the light blast fire began. It was clear that there were a handful of talented younglings who were very quick at deflecting the blasts away from themselves, but there were others who needed help.

Alana noticed a little Cathar struggling with the little remote, and a small smile spread across her face. She was brought back to a time many years ago when she had seen Sylvan doing the very same thing. It appeared that the Cathar younglings had much in common. Alana silently made her way across the room, nodding her head at Cieralai as she passed before coming to stand beside the Cathar just as she was hit by a blast from the remote.

"Ow!" the Cathar yelped before Alana used the Force to push the remote away from the youngling and onto another target. Sensing that Alana was beside her, the youngling peeked out from under her helmet. She removed it completely, and Alana noted her ears droop as she looked up at her. "I failed. I'm so bad at this."

"Now, now," Alana said, kneeling and taking the youngling's helmet gently. "What is your name, little one?"

"Zora," the little youngling replied.

"Zora," Alana mused for a moment. "Well, Zora, as I have told my Padawan in the past, I will now tell you the same thing. Failing is normal. Not only at this stage, but at every stage of life. It only matters that you learn from your failures."

"But how can I learn if I don't know what I'm doing wrong?" Zora asked.

"Here, let me show you," Alana said, taking the small practice saber from Zora's hand and standing. She quickly demonstrated the wide, sweeping motions that Zora had been using. "This is what you were doing," she said. "You open yourself up to the remote too much, and it takes too much time. Instead, you should do this. It works well for my Padawan, who is also a Cathar," She then demonstrated a shorter, quicker motion that she had often seen Sylvan using.

The technique wasn't exactly perfect or typical, but Alana knew that with the genetic make-up of the Cathar, it was a much easier way to position and defend their agile bodies.

"This will work well for you," she said. "Try it for yourself and see what happens."

And with that, she walked away and watched for a moment as Zora tried the swing on her own before putting the helmet on and practicing again. Satisfied with her progress, Alana nodded and turned away, focusing on the other younglings who still needed attention.

Little did she know that Cieralai had taken note of what Alana had been doing as she observed from across the room. She waited for Alana to become preoccupied with another Youngling, before making her way over to Zora. A small smile formed on her face before she crouched down to where she was nearly at the height of the young Cathar. "Hello, little one."

Sensing Cieralai in front of her as she had done earlier with Alana, Zora took off her helmet and stared at Cieralai. "Hello, Master! Is something wrong?"

Cieralai tilted her head slightly. "No, not at all. I just noticed that you were using a different technique different to that which is normally taught at the Jedi temple."

Zora nodded eagerly. "Yes! It's a technique that Master Skywalker showed me! She said it would help with my form and agility and that it's adapted to my people! And it's not too challenging, it's actually easier for me to do."

Cieralai pursed her lips slightly. "I appreciate that Master Skywalker has shown you a technique that is easier than what is taught. However, it is not something that you would use as a method of attack and defense. There is a reason why the Masters choose to train you using this form. It is harder, yes, but it is aggressive, and it makes it easier for the defender or attacker to quickly subdue their opponent."

Zora lowered her head slightly. "But Master-"

Cieralai interrupted her. "I'm sorry, little one. I truly am. But you must learn the correct technique because it will help you in the future. Every action and movement you make is done with a purpose. If you don't think you can accurately learn the technique, then don't do it all. Work on something else."

Zora's ears drooped slightly again, and her eyes moved over to where Alana was for support, but she was busy helping another student, and Zora sighed, putting the helmet on before practicing the way that Cieralai had shown her.

She continued to do so until the training was finally over, and the students were finally dismissed. Her head was buzzing from the continuous hum of the remotes, and she was glad for the silence. As the younglings made their way out of the room, Alana noticed Zora standing off to the side and putting away her helmet and training saber. Alana approached her, rubbing her temple slightly before smiling as the youngling turned to her.

"How was the technique? Did it help?"

"I didn't really use it, sorry, Master," Zora replied, her eyes moving to look at where Cieralai was ushering a handful of students out of the door.

Following her gaze to where Cieralai stood, Alana narrowed her eyes. Cieralai must have said something to her about the technique.

"In the future, do not hesitate to call me over," Alana said. "I will speak with Cieralai, don't you worry," she said, placing a warm smile on her face. "Practice just the way I taught you, and you'll be the best Cathar youngling around."

"Thank you, Master," Zora said, her smile returning.

With that, Zora bolted out the door after her friends, leaving Alana and Cieralai alone in the room. Alana turned and approached Cieralai, a torrent of words waiting to spill out of her mouth. But she froze for a moment, taking a deep breath and composing herself before speaking.

"How do you think that went?" Alana asked, still rubbing her forehead lightly, trying to gert the ache to go away.

Cieralai had an impassive expression on her face. "I think it went very well. The younglings are stronger than we originally perceived."

"And what did you think of Zora's technique?"

Cieralai furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "Who?"

Alana blinked for a second. "The young Cathar. The technique she was using was adapted for her species. It will work well for her in the future."

"Oh, that Youngling." Cieralai tapped her chin for a moment. "Well, I don't think she should be using that technique. She should be using the techniques that the Masters have already introduced."

"Oftentimes the younglings are encouraged to adapt these methods to themselves. I think it is good to start adapting and expanding techniques at younger ages."

"I agree to a certain extent. But using a technique that isn't as refined as the original one is essentially cheating. They aren't gaining anything from it, and it won't help them defend or attack against their opponents."

"Then I suppose the only form of lightsaber technique I use is cheating. In battle, it wouldn't matter which technique you use, only how well it defends you. I think you and I should try to instill these qualities in the younglings."

Cieralai raised an eyebrow towards Alana, then she shook her head. "I really don't think that's a good idea."

"Well then, we could split the class and take turns teaching the proper technique and modified ones to better help them in the future," Alana suggested, getting frustrated at how grounded Cieralai was in the procedures and propriety of the Jedi.

"No." Cieralai crossed her arms. "I think we should stick to the actual methods that the Council wants us to use."

"That isn't right," Alana shook her head, rubbing it even more furiously now as the ache had turned into a sharper pain. "We need to be teaching them both ways. If you won't do it, will."

Cieralai turned to face her and she practically towered over Alana. "That isn't your place to decide, Master Skywalker. This is my assignment, and you are only assisting me. And need I remind you, that you are still in a state of injury, so you must limit your actions in order to speed up your recovery."

Alana gaped as Cieralai turned and made her way out of the room, leaving her alone and furious. Even though Cieralai was right about having the authority to shut her down, Alana was not happy about it. Not only was she now dealing with her injury, her child, and being unable to contact Kenobi, she was now also on the worst and least desirable assignment with a less-than-thoughtful partner.

As Alana made her way out of the training room and to her quarters, she knew that this would be a long assignment.


	39. An Angry Discovery

As the weeks went by, Alana found herself beginning to be unnerved by her training partner. The two of them were supposed to work in tandem training the younglings at the temple. Alana became frustrated with Cieralai constantly belittling her or insisting on the 'proper' techniques, so she began to offer lessons in private, helping the students like Zora in order to teach them techniques that would help them in battle.

One afternoon, Alana found herself training little Zora, working on a new grip technique that allowed her to use her tail better for balance.

Zora had just finished knocking down three little practice remotes, and Alana clapped her hands as the youngling pulled off her helmet.

"That was very good, Zora," she said, a smile on her face. "You're getting so much better."

"Thank you, Master," Zora said, smiling widely, but soon her face twisted into a face of discontent. "I just wish that Master Windu would let us use the techniques you're teaching us in class."

"I know," Alana said, trying not to allow her frustrations to show at the mention of Cieralai. In her honest opinion, the only Master Windu there should be was her former Master, Mace, but she buried that thought deep inside her mind, focusing on Zora. "But it is good that you are learning both. In the long run, you will be better off. Now, why don't you try it one more time? This time, make sure you don't stay on the ground for too long."

Zora nodded and put her helmet back on. Alana turned on the remotes and sent them to the air, watching as Zora calmed and readied herself for the remotes to begin. Soon enough, they were whizzing through the air, and she was deflecting away the blast fire.

However, Cieralai herself was passing through the area and heard the training blast fire from where she was. She rounded the corner, standing in the doorway just as Zora fired back a blast shot, powering down the last remote. She stood for a moment, watching as Alana went over and congratulated her.

"Perfect, Zora. Now keep this training in mind-" she trailed off, as if sensing the woman's presence.

Alana whirled around, coming face to face with none other than Cieralai, leaning in the doorway, arms crossed, and an unreadable expression on her face.

"Please. Don't stop now. Continue as if I were never here."

"Master," Zora suddenly piped up, noticing her too and bowing.

"I see Master Skywalker has been giving you some private lessons," Cieralai responded casually, but everyone in the room appeared to be on edge despite hearing her nonchalant tone.

Alana nodded and turned back to Zora, the hair on her back prickling up. 

"Why don't you head back to your quarters, Zora," she said. "You've done well."

Zora hesitated, looking back and forth between the two masters before scurrying out of the room.

Meanwhile, Alana turned from the door, picking up the helmet and the droids slowly, not wanting to even speak to Cieralai. She was tired of Cieralai always being around, trying to tell her what to do or how to oversee her. And now, she had discovered their training, which had become the only source of freedom Alana had felt since arriving back on Coruscant. Over the past weeks, Alana had been under constant supervision from the Council and from the medical staff due to her injury. Even though she was constantly feeling better with each passing day, and she was nearly ready to return to the field, Alana felt micromanaged and she rarely had the space to think for herself. That coupled with the secret she was hiding, and the complete inability to contact Kenobi was enough to keep her teetering on the edge.

Finally, Alana spoke.

"I'm going to meditate," she said, turning to see that Cieralai had not moved from the door.

"Why do you go behind my back, and undermine my authority with the Younglings?" Cieralai asked, keeping Alana from leaving the room.

"I'm not doing this now, Cieralai, I'm tired of constantly arguing with you. It's an extra training session, that's all," Alana said.

"And how many of those have you done?" Cieralai asked. "Because from what I've overheard, you do this for each and every youngling. They do not need to learn extra techniques until they have mastered the most simple and correct techniques. That's the way it has always been done, and that is the way it will always be done."

"You are trying to confine the idea of becoming a Jedi to a cage of rules and tradition. Stop being so... so... nit-picky!" Alana said, finally sputtering at the way Cieralai was trying to tell her what to do.

Cieralai snorts softly. "I highly doubt that wanting the students to have perfect technique is being 'nit-picky.' This is nothing compared to the training I endured as a Jedi Sentinel. Clearly, you don't have the experience that it takes to actually be a great Jedi Master. You should be grateful that I'm here to help the Younglings advance in their skills and technique. On a regular day, I would be across the galaxy, serving the Jedi as you should be. But instead, I'm here babysitting you."

"Babysitting me? A woman of such incredible experience?" Alana mocked. "I thought you had so much experience, that the Council could never assign you to something so very simple. Apparently you don't have the experience you think you have," Alana said, crossing her arms across her chest, her voice rising up, louder and louder. "Besides, you know who I have never seen on the battlefield, Cieralai?" Alana asked. "You." She jabbed her finger at Cieralai's chest.

"So tell me, where have you been during all of these battles?" Alana continued. "Where were you when many Jedi were killed on Geonosis and then many soldiers on Mon Cala, Kamino, and Christophsis?! I watched my friends fall before my eyes. My men. My soldiers. They have lost their lives to fight this war when you could have been there instead. Why didn't you come to assist us, especially since a woman with your reputation and experience clearly could have saved us all?"

Cieralai's eyes narrowed and she scoffed, "I hardly feel the need to justify myself to you, but since you will continue to shout at me, I was sent on many missions by order of the High Council, and was busy fighting across the galaxy, destroying the dark side users that you failed to find and identify. I was cleaning up your mess, Skywalker."

Alana froze and she immediately stared at the ground in shame. She used to be one of those Dark-Side users, and she knew that the woman in front of her most likely would've killed her where she stood if she knew about this. Alana choked down her uncertainty and found the words to respond.

"My mess, huh? I was looking through your personnel file and there was a sealed mission report. Sealed. What mess are you hiding from the Council? From the Jedi?" Alana demanded.

Cieralai's eyes narrowed and the room appeared to drop in temperature as she coldly responded to Alana through gritted teeth. "That mission is none of your concern, Skywalker. You are treading close to dangerous territory, and if you know what's good for you, you will shut. Your. Mouth."

Alana didn't want to back down. She wanted to know. She needed to know. "I will find a way to unseal it if I have to. Does the Council even know of the file? I'm assuming not. Who even gave you the authorization to seal it?"

Cieralai clenched her fists and glared at her. "Master Yoda, himself."

"Master Yoda be damned," Alana replied. "I am sick and tired of the Council hiding things from the rest of the Jedi Order. It's something I've begun to notice in recent years. What are you hiding? What is the great Sentinel Cieralai afraid of?"

At that moment, something within Cieralai snapped, and she roughly gripped the collar of Alana's robes, pulling her towards her. "I am not afraid of anything, Skywalker." She seethed as she stared down at the woman. "And I will warn you now. if I receive word that you attempted or have tried to gain access to that file, I will kill you. By any means necessary."

Alana narrowed her eyes, her mind briefly flashing to the child she carried within her. If she pushed Cieralai too far, she would put the both of them at risk. But it was too late, words were already spilling from her mouth.

"And those are the words of a liar and a coward who does not want to take responsibility for their failings," she snapped back. "You disgust me, hiding behind your lies. People like you were the reason I was sent from the Order when I was a child. A CHILD! There is no wonder that people have begun to leave the Order in droves. There is no wonder at all of the enticement of the Dark Side. It grows around us with each and every day. I feel it. And I know you feel it too. Soon, because of your hiding and your deceit, there will be a reckoning. A reckoning against you and every other leader who does as they please with no thought to the repercussions. You will be the death of us all. So go ahead. Kill me. It will only join me with the Force all that more quickly. The rest will soon be following."

Cieralai stared down at her with barely concealed rage, then she let go of Alana's collar and turned away from her. "You think you know everything. You think you can understand what is going on. You're so quick to play the victim but you don't realize that the Council knows what they're doing. My mission was hidden for a reason. The Council knows what is best for the Jedi Order, regardless of the secrets they keep. You are playing into something that is much bigger than you realize, and it is not meant for you to know."

"You and your undying loyalty to the Council," Alana rolled her eyes. "Despite what the Council says and does, there are times when the Council is wrong. Even as I sit on the Council, I know I have been wrong before, but at least I know that when people are in danger, the formalities of the Jedi life must be adjusted!" Alana exclaimed. "The Code should not be used as an excuse to hide."

Cieralai responded coldly and her icy blue eyes once again flashed with anger, "All this time you continue to call me a liar and a coward, but you fail to look at yourself. I think you need a reminder that the only reason you were put on the Council was because we lost so many great Masters in the battle at Geonosis. You are unworthy of the seat you sit so proudly upon."

Alana's jaw snapped shut. She stood there, stunned, unable to comprehend the anger that now coursed through her veins. She had the urge to reach out and slap the woman before her, but deep in her heart, she knew that Cieralai's words were right.

She didn't deserve to sit on the Council. She had broken many rules of the Jedi Code, especially now as a Master. Not only was she secretly married, but she now had to deal with the weight of having a child. Besides, the darkness of her past made Alana acutely aware of the accuracy of Cieralai's statement.

"Let it be known that I will find a way to access that file," she said. "Even if I have to go down for it, I will expose whatever I find within."

"As I said, I will kill you should you attempt to look into those files and as such, you will not only be defying the orders of Master Yoda but of the Jedi Council themselves. You will be breaking the Jedi Code because of your defiance."

"Then perhaps you should report this interaction to the Council," Alana replied stiffly. "This is not the first time someone has accused me of breaking the Jedi Code. If the Council finds me guilty, then it will be the last time you see my face."

Cieralai crossed her arms and turned away. "Then I look forward to hearing their decision."

Alana watched as Cieralai parted from the room, her jaw clenched. She would have to find out exactly what Cieralai was hiding, but in the meantime, she had to try to contact Obi-Wan again.

\------------

Meanwhile, Cieralai had made her way towards the Jedi archive room, relieved to find her uncle conversing with Master Yoda just outside the entrance.

"Masters."

Mace and Yoda turned upon hearing Cieralai call out to them.

Master Yoda observed her from his floating stool. "Master Windu. A pleasure it is, to see that you've returned from the outer rim. Faring with the younglings, I hope?"

Cieralai stopped in front of them. "They are progressing very well, and the Force is strong with them. At the rate they're progressing they will soon surpass my generation in terms of establishing a strong connection with the Force. But alas, that is not why I have found you. I need to file a report and believe that someone has broken the code."

Master Yoda hummed and closed his eyes as if he was meditating on what she said. Upon hearing his niece speak about someone breaking the code, Master Windu turned to face her and uncrossed his arms. He knew that Cieralai would not report someone unless it was absolutely necessary.

"Who?" He inquired out of curiosity.

Cieralai contemplated his question before glancing away with a seemingly emotionless expression on her face. "I would..prefer not to say until I'm absolutely certain." She then stared at the ground. "My vision is...clouded, to say the least."

Master Yoda then spoke up. "Might I suggest that you meditate on this, Master Windu? Then, when your mind is cleared, speak with us, you will."

Cieralai nodded at his words. "Thank you. I will follow your advice, Master, and will return to you soon." She then bowed before turning around and leaving. As she left, she did not see the glance that was shared between Yoda and her uncle.

As she strolled through the temple, she decided that she made up her mind and went to Alana's quarters to inform her of the report that she would file against her.

In the meanwhile, across the temple, Alana was anxiously pacing back and forth in her room. Her mind was filled with questions as to whether Cirealai's threats would be made real. What would happen to the child if the Jedi found out? Alana huffed and went over to where she had stashed their scrambled communication link, and she stared at it.

Obi-Wan still didn't know. He needed to know. She pressed the link and waited as the link blinked rapidly, piggy-backing off of another frequency. She hoped Obi-Wan would answer.

Suddenly, it failed and Alana clenched her jaw, desperately needing to tell him. She needed his advice, and she needed him to tell her what to do. As she tried contacting him again, she closed her eyes and willed the transmission to work.

Suddenly the link sounded and the blinking stopped. The connection had been established. 

As the transmission unscrambled, Alana saw Obi-Wan on the other end, being holographically displayed on the device.

"What is it?" Obi-Wan asked worriedly. They had not been in contact for over a month outside of Council meetings, and he knew something had to be wrong, based on the way she looked at him through the hologram.

"We have to talk," Alana insisted, letting her breath out. She had been trying to reach him for far too long. "Is now a good time?"

Obi-Wan paused, looking back at something behind him.

"It's never a good time during this blasted war, my love," Obi-Wan replied. "Can you be quick?"

"I'm pregnant," Alana replied, needing desperately to tell him that before asking him for his advice on the situation with Cieralai.

There was absolute silence as Obi-Wan stood, his eyes focused on something in front of him. Alana watched as he sliced down a battle droid before looking at Alana on the com, his face flashing through a wide mixture of joy, fear, worry, and confusion.

"Whe-" he was about to say something when suddenly the commlink failed. There must have been a disruption on Obi-Wan's planet. Alana opened her mouth, she wasn't sure how he was going to react. She needed to know.

Alana began pacing back and forth in her room, trying to contact him again, but she couldn't reach him. That's when she had an idea. She would make for the communications room in the Temple and try to use that to boost the frequency.

She made her way quickly to the door and pressed the button, allowing it to slide open, but she was frozen in her spot when she saw who was in front of her. Cieralai was standing right in front of the door, hand poised to knock, her eyes slightly widened as if she had heard everything that had just been spoken.

Alana panicked, and grabbed Cieralai's arm, yanking her into the room and locking the door behind her.

"How much did you hear?" Alana demanded, letting go of Cieralai's arm and blocking the door to prevent Cieralai from leaving. "Tell me. Now!"

"Everything," came the dreaded response.

"Have you been spying on me?" Alana demanded.

Cieralai then masked her expression into that of a stoic one, but it was hard to maintain after what she had heard. "No. In fact, I had just returned from speaking with Master Yoda and Master Windu. I wanted to inform you that I was planning on reporting you to the Jedi Council."


	40. No Sleep

Alana stared at Cieralai, her body frozen in place, unable to speak. The only thing keeping her grounded was the feeling of her back against the cool door, keeping Cieralai from taking her information to the Council.

Alana's mind flashed to her options. She could either let Cieralai walk out and tell the Council, which would result in her being cast out of the Jedi Order, Obi-Wan would lose his position, and their lives would be changed forever. Or, she would be given the option to terminate the child and go on with her duties, but most likely be separated from Obi-Wan forever.

Her mind then went to a dark place, the Dark Side within her tempting her, and Alana's eyes glanced over to where her lightsaber rested on the table, only feet away from her. If she could only use it-

Alana shook herself from her thoughts. They were getting the best of her, and she knew that she couldn't do what her thoughts were tempting her to. To kill someone in order to protect her livelihood would bring her to the brink of darkness, to which she knew she would never be able to return.

Alana furrowed her brows.

"You know what this will do to me. To Obi-Wan," she said quietly. "Please."

"I will do what I must in order to keep the Jedi code. You can't change that, Alana." That was the first time Cieralai had actually spoken her name.

Alana hesitated, her eyes scanning Cieralai's hardened expression, trying desperately to seek out any soft spot she had in her heart. "Take one day. Just think about it for a few days, I beg of you. The Council doesn't meet for three days, so please, take until then to think on it."

Cieralai furrowed her brows slightly and her eyes narrowed slightly in contemplation. She was silent for a few moments before slowly nodding. "Fine. I will think about it."

Alana stayed there, blocking the entrance, assessing Cieralai's commitment before she was satisfied. She stepped cautiously out of the way and watched as Cieralai glided coldly out the door, with it sliding shut behind her.

Alana sank to the floor, her head in her hands, succumbing to a full-blown panic attack. She could barely breathe, her heart racing a thousand times a minute. She tried to focus on anything, but she couldn't seem to focus.

After what seemed like hours, she finally managed to focus on the cool concrete wall behind her, pressing against it firmly, allowing herself to come down from her panic until finally, all that she could feel was complete silence.

Alana finally had the strength to stand up and pull herself to her bed, where she laid back down and curled up, falling quickly asleep.

That's when it started. The nightmare.

There was nothing, and then, flashes. Someone was running. Lightsaber clashes could be heard amongst the ever-increasing shouts in the dim scenery. What was going on? Where was this place? It was unfamiliar. The sky was dark and full of clouds, and the vibrant red and blue colors from the lightsabers bounced off of what appeared to be a black temple made of marble. Where was this place?

Someone was running, the panting was heavy and evident. It was like looking through their perspective. Who is it? Who is this person? Who were they running to? The figure's vision shifted and all of a sudden, like a movie that appeared to fast forward, they were in the temple.

This time there were two more people. Wait, no. There were three. One of them was dressed in a dark hooded cloak, and they wore a mask that appeared much like the Mandalorian helmet with a red mark down the center. Another lurked not far from the masked figure who appeared to be holding something. What were they holding? The last figure was a tall human male who stood alongside the main figure, and their vision was focused on the person in the mask.

The figure's vision blurred and their breathing appeared to increase dramatically as the person with the mask held up what appeared to be a child, no older than the age of two years.

"I told you to join us. You didn't listen." The masked figure appeared to be male, for his voice was deep and filled with hatred.

"I wouldn't betray the Jedi Order like that. Not again."

The main figure who spoke sounded like a female. And their voice was slightly recognizable. Who was it? Whose perspective was this?

The masked figure snarled. "You already betrayed the Order once, my old apprentice. You can't go back now. Imagine what they would think of you if they figured out the truth."

The woman's head darted quickly and her vision was focused on the person next to her.

"Ra, don't listen to him! He's clouding your vision, you must control your emotions! Remember why we're here! Remember what we came for!"

The woman's head then jolted slightly as if she were nodding then she shifted her gaze back to the masked figure not far from her.

"I-It's hard to focus...he has him. He's there. I see him there."

"Yes, Ra, he's there. We must be cautious. Tread carefully. Calm your mind. Your anger is growing, you need to let go of it."

The woman's gaze stumbled as if she had shifted back. "I can't. Not when he's there."

"Ra, you must!" The man urged. Who was he? What relationship did he have with this Ra?

The masked figure laughed long and hard before he spoke once again. "You should've covered up your tracks better, my old apprentice. You still have much to learn. You let the enemy know your weakness."

The woman interrupted the man and yelled at him with scorn and anger. "You weren't my enemy not too long ago! You were my master! I trusted you!"

"And I can still be your master if you join me. Your spawn will be spared."

The woman growled. "I will not betray generations worth of Jedi for you. Now. The child. Give him to me. Give him back to me! You will not harm him!"

The masked figure tilted his head slightly. "Oh? You think so? Watch me."

It all happened in slow motion. The masked figure then threw the child in the air, and in a quick motion, he unleashed two sabers: one red, and the other, a vibrant purple, which also looked distinctly familiar. In a fluid motion, he slashed the area where the child was, and small body parts fell to the ground.

The breath left the woman and she collapsed to the ground in anguish as a horrifying wail left her mouth.

"NO!"

And then, there was darkness.

Alana woke in a cold sweat, breathing heavily. She could still see the child's body on the ground, in pieces.

She quickly raced to the bathroom and emptied her stomach, retching at the thought. She could still feel tear stains on her face. Her hand immediately went to her belly, where there was a small bump.

The vision had been so real, just like the ones she had had when she was focused on her past. But from what she could tell, she had been there, which meant that it could happen to her. That child could have been her child, but she wasn't sure. Whatever it was, she would never let it happen. Not to her. Not to her child.

"I won't let them hurt you. I won't let anything happen to you. I will do anything I have to to keep you safe," she whispered, placing her hand on her stomach. "I promise."

At that point, she couldn't sleep. She got up and wandered the Temple aimlessly, still hoping to contact Obi-Wan again. She wasn't sure what she could do.

Her anxiety rose each time she spotted Cieralai. She would turn the other direction, her heart racing, praying that Cieralai would protect her. Alana made excuses and avoided attending the younglings training classes, instead continuing her private lessons with the younglings in secret.

The majority of her time was spent trying to decipher the dream that she had had or deep in the library, trying to rack her brain as to what she could do about Cieralai.

The three days went by extremely painfully, but before she knew it, it was time for the Council meeting.

As she made her way down the hall, anxiously at first, she spotted Cieralai headed in the opposite direction of the chambers.

"Are you not coming?" Alana blurted out, noting the stoic and stern appearance on Cieralai's face.

At the sound of Alana's voice, she turned, her eyebrow raised slightly. Just by looking at Alana, Cieralai could feel the anxiety and nervousness flowing out of her.

"You have more time, Skywalker," Cieralai spoke. "I have been reassigned and am leaving immediately."

"What?" Alana asked. "What about-" she trailed off as a member of the Council passed by, bowing to them both.

"Your secrets? I will not speak them until we meet again," Cieralai said quietly, a harsh tone to her voice.

"What was your decision?" Alana demanded.

Instead of responding, Cieralai turned away, her face hidden from Alana. "May the Force be with you, Skywalker."

And with that, she walked away, leaving Alana in the dust, her future as uncertain as ever.

She stood there for a few moments until she remembered that she would be late, and she turned, pressing on towards the council chambers.

As soon as she arrived, she took her seat, looking over to where Obi-Wan's seat was. Instead of the typically empty seat due to his current assignment off-world, she saw a blue hologram of her husband, looking right back at her, an unreadable expression across his face.

The urge for her to rush over and speak to him quietly was almost too difficult to bear, so she turned her head as Master Yoda began to speak.

The meeting droned on, with Alana being too distracted by the presence of her husband and the lingering thoughts of Cieralai.

Alana perked up as Master Windu and Obi-Wan began to speak, discussing a new situation on Ryloth. They spoke of captives, and that Anakin and his Padawan were attempting to break through a large blockade in order to land a team that would help the people of Ryloth and free them from under the control of the Separatist leader Wat Tambor.

"We could use some assistance out here," Master Windu said.

"But there are no battalions who would be able to assist," Master Mundi spoke up.

"That's, not entirely true, Master," Alana spoke up. "My men are shored up on Kamino, but they should be well rested and ready to be back on their feet. I could rendez-vous with them and then we could make our way to assist with the ground invasion."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Obi-Wan spoke up, causing Alana to throw a discreet glare at him. "What, with your recent injury?"

"I am feeling back to my normal self, Kenobi," Alana said, hoping that he would shut his mouth.

"Then it is decided. How quickly can you arrive here on Ryloth?" Master Windu asked.

"If I leave now, I can be there in a matter of hours, and I'm sure my fleet could be there shortly after," Alana said.

"Good," Master Windu said. "We could use all the help we can get."

"Be careful, Alana," Obi-Wan said as Alana stood.

Her stomach dropped as she could see a couple of the council members looking at Obi-Wan with a confused expression.

"We are getting battered right now," he continued, trying to cover up his mistake. "You and your men will need to be on high alert as you come out of hyperspace."

"Will do, Obi-Wan," Alana said. She turned to the other council members and bowed, excusing herself from the room before bolting down the hallway as quickly as she could.

Instead of returning to her quarters to pick up any necessities, she was fortunate enough to have grabbed her and Obi-Wan's transponder, and with that, she had everything she needed in order to finally leave Coruscant. As she made her way towards the platform to find a starship, she began to think.

Despite her exhaustion and worry, the idea of leaving the planet and leaving the prying eyes of the council and the other Jedi, she would not have to worry about concealing her emotions or her body. With any luck, she could have her child and keep it away from the eyes of the Council.

But, there was one lingering worry at the back of Alana's mind. What would Cieralai decide to do? If her decision was to inform the council, Alana and Obi-Wan would be finished and expelled from the order.

If that were to happen, Alana had no idea if she would be able to protect her child from the many looming dangers of the Separatist war or from the dangers lurking in the darkness of her own heart.


	41. Reunification

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> (AN: AYYYY an update!! And it only took....... three weeks...... sorry 'bout that. But, I think that y'all will enjoy this. Alana's finally back with the squad!! I'm so excited to keep on writing this fic. Do not worry, charis_nikola and Cieralai aren't going anywhere, so expect to see them around here again preeeetty soon!! Sending you all much love! -Rach)

Alana soon found herself boarding a ship, taking off into the atmosphere of Coruscant, and then out into space. Almost immediately as she jumped into hyperspace, she could feel herself relax. She was out of range of the Council, with no one to judge or find her out, and she was alone.

For the first time in weeks, she was at peace. At least for a short while, she allowed herself to focus only on the tasks at hand, which was arriving at her rendezvous with her men, and keeping herself in safe space and out of the hands of pirates and Separatists.

As soon as she jumped out of hyperspace at the rendezvous point, her ship was already there, and she had never been happier to be with them. She hailed the ship, informing them of her arrival, smiling as a familiar voice came over on the comm channel.

"Hailing Admiral Ivanov and the 403rd legion," Alana spoke.

"Welcome back, Jedi," the thick and heavy (Russian) accent came through the comms.

While normally, Alana would grimace at the rude-sounding admiral, she lit up with joy.

"Hello there, Admiral! I trust my men haven't bothered you too much," Alana said, approaching the ship.

"Oh, we've bothered him shi-" a voice came through the comms, which Alana could only assume could be Commander Bash's.

"That's enough commander. Please transmit your landing code, Skywalker," Admiral spoke gruffly, cutting him off.

"Yes, sir," Alana replied, quickly entering her code. As it went through, there was a pause of silence before she heard a slight sigh. She choked back a snicker at the admiral's slightly-disappointed tone.

"They check out. Our shields are lowered, and you have permission to board, General," Admiral Ivanov said.

"Thank you," Alana replied before moving towards the ship.

She was quickly directed into the main hangar, landing her ship gently and smiling as she jumped out. It was almost like coming home. While she had not spent as much time on the ship as she would have liked, she was more comfortable there with her men than anywhere else in the galaxy.

As soon as her feet touched the ground, an all-too familiar face appeared in front of her. It was Commander Bash.

"Good to see you, General," he said, going to salute her, but she stopped him, pulling him into a quick embrace. He chuckled as she pulled away. "You were only gone for a month, sir. It was that bad, huh?"

"You couldn't imagine," Alana shook her head as she pulled away, taking in the sights and sounds around her. 

The hangar was bustling with troops preparing for a ground assault, and the men were milling about everywhere, hard at work. Each person had a purpose, and they were fulfilling their duties exceptionally well.

Suddenly, a small beeping sound called Alana's attention. She turned to see the little R3 unit that had helped her in the space battle of Mon Cala only a few months ago. She had remembered hearing about him getting a small medal for bravery, but she had not seen him since the battle.

"Hello there, my friend!"

He beeped at her furiously, informing her that he had been reprogrammed since their fight, and that he was even better now. He then continued on to inform her that he had been officially reinstated as her copilot whenever she needed him.

"That's good to hear," Alana replied. "I'm glad to know that from now-on I will have the best copilot in the galaxy at my side." As she thought of that, she made a quick mental note to not tell R2D2 what she had said about R3.

She watched as the droid then turned and made his way back into the throng of troopers, disappearing back to his work.

"He's a good little unit, that one," Bash said. "He's been on board with us since we arrived on Kamino. I think he's antsy to get back out into space."

"To think that a little droid can want to fight as much as we do," Alana shook her head. They paused for a moment before Alana nodded to the hall. "To the bridge, then?"

Bash agreed.

The two of them made their way to the bridge. As they passed, men stopped to acknowledge their general before moving on. All of Alana's fears began to pass out from her mind as she began to focus on the task at hand.

As soon as they reached the bridge, Alana stepped off, and her eyes immediately made their way around the room. The bridge was fully staffed and at capacity, with the Admiral standing in the middle, speaking quietly with a commander.

"Took you long enough to get up here," he said gruffly, as soon as he spotted her stepping onto the bridge. He waved away the trooper and approached them. "We're jumping into hyperspace. Hold tight."

Alana nodded and leaned against the wall as the engine began to rumble loudly and the ship soon shot off into hyperspace with nothing more than a little shake. The ship was a sturdy girl, and the Admiral had done a great job at ensuring that it was at its peak performance.

"You should have seen him when he found out his fleet would be reassigned to another Jedi for two weeks pending your injury," Commander Bash said quietly as Alana made her way over to the map with all of the information that Obi-Wan had transmitted from battle. "He wanted you back as soon as possible."

"Surely the other Jedi couldn't have been-"

"Anakin was assigned here for those two weeks. There was a reason that it wasn't any longer. We were forced back to Kamino faster than you can bat your eye," Bash said, chuckling to himself.

"Good to know he doesn't hate me," Alana laughed along with him. "Although I can imagine the same cannot be said for my brother."

Bash nodded, a smile still on his face as the two of them turned towards the battle plans. They spoke quickly, knowing that there would not be any time for faltering as soon as they reached Ryloth.

The Admiral joined them, informing them that the ship would remain in the atmosphere, forming a blockade while the others would descend to the surface. That was pending the situation on Ryloth when they arrived. With the plan in mind, Alana and Bash began to focus on ensuring their commanders and troops were prepared and had all of the logistics needed before battle. Within the hour, they had arrived at the planet of Ryloth.

As the ship fell out of hyperspace, Alana took a deep breath, surveying the area in front of them. There was already massive amounts of fighting going on in the sky. She went to stand beside the admiral as he barked orders quickly to the crew. Within seconds, they were hailed by Anakin Skywalker's fleet.

"Hey, nice of you to join us, sis," he said cockily as his image came up on the holographic transmission system.

"Seems like we're a bit late to the party," Alana said. "How can we help?"

"I've got us covered in the sky, you get down to the ground. Obi-Wan and Windu are leaving soon. They should be sending you landing details now," Anakin spoke, clearly busy with the battle raging on around him.

"You sure you don't need help around here?" Alana asked.

"I've got it all under control," Anakin replied before ending the transmission.

Alana turned to the Admiral, and instead of snarky remarks and orders thrown at each other, they seemed to have a mutual understanding, and with just one look, they both nodded, and Alana motioned for Commander Bash to follow her off the bridge.

"Good luck down there, General," Admiral Ivanov called to her.

"See you after this is all over," she replied as the turbolift door shut behind her, and soon she was rocketing towards the main hangar. Alana was quiet for a moment as Bash received a message on his transmitter.

"We just received the schematics of the landing zones for our troops. I've sent them over to the others. It may be a little hot down there," Bash spoke up.

"Good. Let's make sure we're prepared for it," Alana said, nodding to him as the doors to the turbolift slid open. They both stepped into the hallway, and began to walk. Alana could sense Commander Bash at her side as they made their way down the hall towards the ships, when suddenly, she froze.

_Light flickered around her._

_"General, we've been hit!"_

_"Put her down!"_

_Suddenly, a loud cracking sound came from near her head. Blood rushing down her skull. The cold, dead silence of the crash landing, before Alana came to seconds later to the alarm blaring in the cockpit, clones struggling to get the door open, and Sylvan's hand on her shoulder._

"General?" Bash's voice shook Alana back to the present, her hand instinctually going to her head, where the blood had once been. Only now it had been covered by a jagged scar and a phantom pain.

At her reaction, Bash pursed his lips.

"Christophsis?" He asked.

"How did you-?"

"Heard it through the grapevine," Bash replied. "Bad landing, even worse battle," he paused for a second before shaking his head. "I should have been there. You had my back on Kamino, but I didn't have yours."

"It's not your fault, what happened to me, Bash," Alana said, shaking her head. "On Kamino you were seriously injured. I made the decision to leave you and your men behind to go fight on Christophsis," she paused for a second before adding, "besides, there are many casualties in war."

"It was bad, General. I saw you getting carried in to Kamino. It was bad," Bash shook his head, looking down to the ground.

"But I survived," Alana reminded him. "And despite my injuries, or what I experienced, I still have you to lean on when I need you. Like right now, Bash. You need to be strong. We both need to be strong. For our men, for each other, for ourselves. That's how we'll win this fight. That is how we will win the war."

"Yes, sir," Bash replied, straightening up slightly at her request.

"Good," Alana said. "Now, let's get going."

She had managed to regain her own composure while talking to Bash, and soon enough, they had loaded into the carriers, and were heading out into space. 

As they approached the atmosphere, Alana closed her eyes for a second, blocking out the sounds and turbulence, and her grip on her lightsaber tightened. She had trained for years for this, and she would do whatever she could to preserve the safety and security of the galaxy for herself and for her child.

At that thought, her hand briefly moved to her stomach, grazing over a tiny bump that had begun to form there. What she did not realize was that her action had not gone unnoticed.

Concerned for her safety and for the state of her mind, Bash had been watching her closely, ready to jump in at any moment and reassure her. When her hand had traced a small circle over her stomach, Bash frowned. He had never seen her do that before, and a small flicker of confusion and doubt crossed his mind before he shook his head, snapping back to the present and looking away from Alana.

Alana finally opened her eyes, looking around to see the others focused on themselves and the sounds of the wind and faint gunfire as they descended towards the surface.

Above them were three larger Jedi cruisers, preparing to try and land. Alana suddenly felt a two familiar, warm presences in the Force, jolting her almost completely upright. It was Obi-Wan and Sylvan. She smiled to herself, realizing that she would be back on the battlefield with them both.

But before she could linger on that thought, there was a loud explosion. Alana looked out to see that there had been a huge explosion, and one of the large transport ships had lost power and was beginning to turn towards the ground. It had been shot by a group of guns set up in a village near their landing zone. Alana frowned, hoping for the safety of the men in the ship when suddenly, Master Windu's voice rang on her commlink.

"We can't risk landing the larger transports until you two take out those guns."

"Pull back," Obi-Wan's voice came through, before Alana could even reply. "We'll take care of it."

Alana nodded, steadying herself as their pilot began to zigzag around heavy fire.

"We're approaching the landing zone!" He called back to them.

"Be ready," Alana said to her men.

Within seconds, the doors open, and they jumped out, under the cover of a large forest, and began to race up the hill, towards two watch towers, protected by a huge wall.

Suddenly, fire began to rain down on them, and Alana ignited her lightsaber, motioning for her men to take cover behind the trees. She dove behind a tree, hiding from the fire and took a deep breath, preparing herself to jump back out to cover for her men. Only a few paces over, she suddenly saw a blue lightsaber ignite, and the silhouette of her husband took shape, glimmering from the light in his saber. Beside him was none other than her Padawan, the greenish-yellow of her saber flashing defensively.

Almost as if he knew that she was watching them, Obi-Wan turned his head towards her, a flicker of something crossing his eyes before he stepped back out from the cover of the trees, making his way towards her, leaving Sylvan behind for a moment.

As soon as he arrived, taking cover beside her, he pursed his lips.

"You shouldn't have come."

Alana's face immediately fell and she rolled her eyes.

"Really? We're going to do this now? I think not."

"Alana, please, do not fight with me. I am merely concerned for your safety, and the safety of-"

"Hush," Alana hissed, looking around to make sure Sylvan was still occupied. She was protecting a group of clones as they advanced. They were pushing ahead, and she knew that they didn't have much time. "We have much to discuss, and there's no point in having this conversation now. You seemed to have missed the fact that we are attempting to storm a Separatist keep with no backup."

"I am well aware of that fact," Obi-Wan replied. "I just wanted to remind you to be cautious."

"As if I'm ever not?" Alana said cheekily, causing Obi-Wan's grim frown to fall from his face, replaced by a quick smile.

"I've missed you."

"I know," Alana replied.

She took his hand and squeezed it, wishing in the back of her mind that she could hold him close and feel his lips against hers. It had been so long since he had held her. But the roar of the gunfire brought her swiftly back from her daydream, and she let go of his hand, focusing her attention back on the fight.

Suddenly, Sylvan's voice was heard, and Alana looked over to see her Padawan had made her way over towards them, and was situated not far off from where they stood. From behind the tree, Alana scanned her, noting that one of her ears was now clipped. She was even taller and stronger than she had been before, showing the experiences she had had in her time under Obi-Wan.

"Are you going to let me do all the work again, Master?" Sylvan said jokingly as she leaned out and deflected a couple of blasts from two clones as they raced up the hill.

"Not a chance," Alana shook her head. She looked to Obi-Wan. "Can I have my Padawan back yet?" She asked.

"I'd be more than happy for you to keep her," Obi-Wan chuckled.

At his words, Alana looked over to her Padawan, pleased to be with two of her favorite people in the galaxy. 

"Race you to the top?" She asked, a sudden rush of adrenaline coursing through her veins. And without waiting for a response from either of them, she darted out from the tree, lightsaber ignited, and her mind fully engaged in the battle ahead of them.


	42. Distraction

Alana bounded up the hill, her padawan close behind her. She blocked and parried the blaster fire as they finally returned to the front lines. Unfortunately, as far as she could tell, the men weren't going to be able to make any more progress unless the wall and two towers were destroyed.

"What's the plan, General?" Commander Bash asked her as she found herself up beside them. Suddenly, he noticed Sylvan, and it was almost as if a huge grin spread across his face, even if Alana couldn't see him. "Hello there, Commander. Happy to see you again."

"Same for me, Bash, same for me," Sylvan nodded her head.

"Why don't we-"

Before Alana could say any more, she watched Obi-Wan pass them, motioning for two of his men to follow behind him. As he passed, he nodded his head in her direction, as if to say 'wait here.'

She nodded back to him and held up her hand, signalling to her men to stay back and hold their fire.

From the shadows of the trees, they waited quietly until they suddenly heard a loud explosion, and within a few seconds, another two. Alana peered around to see her husband standing, his lightsaber sheathed, watching as the dust settled.

It was eerily quiet, and it was soon apparent that they had managed to take out the two towers. With no other visible enemies in sight, they were waved forward, and Alana found herself jumping out in front and making her way towards the towers and towards Obi-Wan.

"Always keen to show off your prowess, aren't you, Kenobi?" Alana purred, a twinkle in her eye.

"Taking out droids seems to have become my speciality," he replied as they entered the first wall.

"Hm," Alana said.

Suddenly, there was a handful of blaster fire from the east, and she turned to see a few droids heading their way.

"I seem to be the only one working here," Sylvan called as she raced past the two Jedi.

"I see she's picked up some more sass during her time with you," Alana gave a pointed look at Obi-Wan before racng off toward the fire.

Obi-Wan chased after her, shaking his head, "Mind you, she's been with Anakin and Ahsoka as well!"

At the lack of response from his wife, he shook his head and joined in the skirmish.

Within the hour, they had managed to secure the perimeter and establish a good grounding for entrance into the city. 

Alana soon found herself perched on a fallen piece of the wall, wiping some oil and grime off her arms while also trying to get a better visual of the surrounding area. She heard her Padawan swing up right beside her and stand up, her ears rotating around on her head, trying to get a feel for how far away they were from anyone else.

"I hear droids, from that direction," she pointed towards the center of the city. "But we're really too far from anything for me to figure this out."

"Unfortunately, I don't think we'll see much of anything either," Alana replied. She observed a little bit of a firefight for a moment, a blue flash of a lightsaber signalling that Obi-Wan had it under control.

There hadn't been many droids around to dispatch of, so she wasn't worried.

"How have your studies been with Obi-Wan?" Alana asked her Padawan.

"They've been... good, for the most part," Sylvan said, but something laid, nervously hidden behind her face.

"For the most part?" Alana asked, prodding slightly.

"Yeah, you know, with-"

"There you two are!" a voice interrupted. Alana and Sylvan looked down and watched as Commander Bash approached the broken part of the wall and waved up at them.

Sylvan nervously glanced at Alana before jumping back down the the ground. Alana furrowed her brows for a moment, realizing that she would need to work harder to learn exactly what had happened. She quickly jumped down after her Padawan, her feet landing lightly on the ground.

As she landed, she watched as Obi-Wan and Commander Cody appeared from around one side of the wall, clearly deep in thought. She eyed her husband carefully, noting his relaxed but focused posture. Whatever Sylvan had been alluding to did not seem to affect him now.

She took a deep breath and turned back to the task at hand. Alana knew that in order to form a strategy for advancing into the city, the Jedi and the commanders would all need to be on the same page.

"The perimeter has been secured," Obi-Wan said to her. "How are things over here?"

"Quiet," Alana said. "Not sure I like it."

"We're meant to take out the guns in order to make sure our ships can land, right, Master?" Sylvan asked.

"Right," both Obi-Wan and Alana said at the same time.

"Sorry," Obi-Wan shook his head, motioning for Alana to respond.

Alana raised an eyebrow at him before turning to her Padawan, "You're correct. However, we don't know exactly what to expect and we may find ourselves in for a pretty heavy attack if we go in unprepared."

"Then we should send scouts?" Sylvan asked.

"Should we?" Alana prodded her to think for herself.

"It would make sense to. Then that way, we can try and find exactly what is in store, the exact location of the guns, where all the people are, where to maneuver our army, how-"

"Good, good," Alana interrupted her with a light chuckle.

"Send your best men to scout ahead," Obi-Wan said, turning to Commander Cody.

"You too, Bash," Alana said, nodding to her commander.

"Yes sir," they both said at the same time.

"Meanwhile, we should set up a discreet command center," Obi-Wan nodded for Alana and Sylvan to follow him.

"Wait, Master, can I go with Bash?" Sylvan blurted out as the group began to split off.

Alana turned to look at Bash, who gave her an nonchalant shrug.

"Stay out of sight and out of trouble, Sylvan," she said. "And don't you lose sight of her, Bash."

"Yes, sir."

She watched as they parted ways, with Alana and Obi-Wan turning towards a hidden part of the wall, which provided the best cover for them to be able to contact Master Windu.

They spoke quickly with a handful of the men, setting up a rotation of watches and then began the work of setting up the communications in order to contact Windu.

Alana directed a handful of men who were carrying some heavy equipment. She noticed one of the men stumble slightly, and she raced over and helped to stabilize and carry the equipment with them.

Almost as soon as she had help them set it down and they had taken off, Obi-Wan was at her side in the small enclosure.

"You shouldn't be lifting heavy things," he said quietly.

Alana looked around them, realizing that they were alone, "Please, Obi-Wan. It's barely been all that long. I'm barely over seven weeks pregnant."

"You should minimize the work you're doing."

"I will do that when I feel it necessary, Obi-Wan, but for now-" she paused as she watched two clones walk in to the enclosure to drop off more equipment and then leave quickly. "For now, I am perfectly capable of continuing on with my normal duties."

"And I cannot convince you otherwise?" Obi-Wan asked. 

Alana shook her head, firm on the subject matter. 

"Why did I marry someone so stubborn?" He muttered, a slight smile passing the creases of concern on his face.

"You asked me, not the other way around, my love," Alana said, a soft smile on her face as she felt his hand reach out and intertwine itself with hers.

"I have missed you," Obi-Wan whispered, pulling her close, his lips hovering dangerously close to hers.

"And I you," Alana replied before closing the gap between them, finally having a moment to embrace her husband.

She could feel his hand move to her stomach as they pulled back from the kiss, and she smiled.

"I want the best for them," he said softly. "I will keep you and the baby safe."

"I'll do whatever it takes to protect them," Alana replied, her mind flashing back to the nightmare from only nights before.

The masked man with the red and purple duel sabers, the horrific image of the child being cut like nothing more than a practice dummy. Her mind had been filled with dark images and influences of late, and she was beginning to become less and less sure of herself.

The nightmare, coupled with the visions of the man in black, herself as a dark-side apprentice shocked and terrified her. She was going to drown in the weight of it all, but she wasn't sure who she could confide in.

"What is it, Lanie?" Obi-Wan's soothing voice brought her back to the present. Her husband's concerned expression had returned.

"It's nothing, my love, nothing."

Before Obi-Wan could reply, there was a commotion, and the two of them separated, pretending to be having a simple conversation over some holographic maps as a few clones filtered in, ready to begin setting up the communication area. 

It was becoming clear to Alana that she was still distracted. She felt some sense pulling her away from the commotion, almost as if someone was pulling her. She frowned for a moment before turning to Obi-Wan.

"I'll be back," she said before ducking out from under the naturally-carved rock shelter that they had begun to set up in. She nodded at a handful of her men before making her way away from the majority of the group, choosing instead to clear her mind. She knew the scouts wouldn't be back for some time, and they appeared to be in a safe location.

She told a handful of troopers where she would be before finding a small, relatively secluded spot, away from the sounds of chatter and orders being barked.

She took her lightsaber out and set it down on the ground in front of her and breathed softly. She stood, her back turned from the troopers, half-hidden from the group of men, and silently rested, her lightsaber laying on the ground before her.

It may have looked strange, or even ridiculous to any non-Jedi, but to her, just standing there, breathing in and out was already putting her into a deep state of meditation.

"I am one with the Force," she breathed out loud, her voice ringing in the ever-growing silence around her. "And the Force is with me," she paused for a moment, feeling both everything and nothing at once. "The Force is with me."

"As it is in all of us, child," a soft voice spoke.

Alana opened her eyes and gasped at the figure in front of her.

"Father?"

"Hello, my little angel," he said softly, a light blue glow surrounding him in the Force. Ophrion stood tall, his dark near-black hair was tied back, revealing his face in its entirety. Alana looked up at him, only just beginning to realize how much she resembled him.

She did not dare to look away, for fear that as soon as her eyes left his face, she would lose him completely. She had not seen him since the day she had married Obi-Wan.

"It has been a long time," he spoke.

"Why do you not visit me?" Alana asked abruptly, finding her voice much harsher than she had intended.

"I do not have the strength to come often on my own, and I have been saving my energy for some time. When you last saw me, I needed the help from an old friend of yours, but now I have learned to come to you alone," Ophrion paused for a moment before continuing. "I have sensed much distress in you, my angel. Tell me what it is that is disturbing you exactly."

Alana hesitated for a moment before a great sense of calm and peace came over her, and she began to pour out everything. She told him about her discovery of the man in black, of her fears of the past, of her marriage, her fear of losing her husband, her fear for her unborn child. She told him of her fear surrounding expulsion of the Order, and of Cieralai's threats. She told him of the nightmare she had had, and its constant pressure in her mind. Alana found herself weeping to her father, letting everything out.

After what felt like ages, she stopped crying, her tears drying up from her cheeks, and she looked up to her father, who looked down at her, a face full of nothing but love and compassion for her.

"You put too much pressure onto yourself, my angel," he said, finally breaking the silence. "Have you spoken of this to anyone else?"

Alana shook her head, "No, I don't know how or who to even speak to."

"I do not wish for you to turn out as I did," Ophrion said, a tone of regret filling his lips. "There was a time when I was just as you were. The Force was overwhelming, and it led me down a destructive path. One that cost me you, your mother, and my life."

"What do you mean, Dad?" Alana furrowed her brows. "You were a Jedi?"

"I never completed my training," Ophrion shook his head. "I was much younger than you were when I lost my way. I was drawn to... darker forces, people just like me. There was a man, who I trusted and who I promised a great deal of things to without knowing the cost."

"Promised what, Dad?" Alana demanded, fearing his answer.

"Listen, Alana, we do not have much more time. I have already begun to lose my connection here," Ophrion spoke. "You must not let this darkness guide you. Tell your fears to someone. To someone you trust and they will help you seek guidance. It does not do good to linger where there is no hope."

"Who, then?" Alana asked. "Who do I talk to? I don't-"

"Someone you trust with your life," Ophrion looked around, his appearance getting fainter and fainter. "I love you, my little angel. Do not fear. Know that I am with you."

And suddenly, he was gone.

Alana realized that she had been reaching her hand out to him, and she let it fall back to her side. "I love you too," she whispered.

She looked down to where her lightsaber lay on the ground, her eyes widening when she noted that it had left a sear into the ground, as if it had been ignited while laying on the ground. She picked it up cautiously, examining it before placing it back onto her belt.

She closed her eyes once more, her focus returning back to the current situation. After having spoken to her father, she found that her back was straighter, and she felt lighter. The emotions and distress that she had been feeling and that had been clouding her mind were lifted, allowing her to focus on the task at hand.

Alana turned back towards the camp, just in time to see two clone troopers approaching her.

"Hello, General, we were sent to find you," one of them said.

"What is it?"

"The scouts have returned."


End file.
